


Negotiations

by AoiKoi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anal, Blow Jobs, Dark Uzumaki Naruto, Drugs, Gangsters, Gratuitous Violence, Guns, Illegal Sex Trade, Like a sailor, M/M, Multi, References to Drugs, Strong!Naruto, Swearing, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2018-10-08 22:42:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10397808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AoiKoi/pseuds/AoiKoi
Summary: Being a dirty cop wasn't the easiest thing. Playing on both sides of the law proves extremely dangerous for Detective Uchiha Sasuke. Can he escape from Orochimaru's clutches and get down to the bottom of the case? And who is the prostitute with the bad rep; one Uzumaki Naruto? Trouble seems to follow wherever he goes!--“You said we needed to talk?” The blond nodded slowly. Before Sasuke could form another word, the blond had shuffled over to him, his hands grasping Sasuke’s belt buckle.“Hold on a second! Get your hands off of me, you said talk!”--Slow Burner. Modern AU. Dark themes.





	1. Better the Devil You Know

**Author's Note:**

> And here we go~

He came here often. Too often? Yes. Where else was a cop to go in this city? Nowhere else seemed like a good place. But one wouldn’t use the word ‘good’ to describe this place in the slightest. And as he found his way, walking down the long alleyway to the door, he felt as if this was all he had. It wasn’t much – but it was an escape and every vice possible was available to him. He had what he needed.

He made his way past the bouncer, stopping at the cloakroom to stow his gun, handing it over to the attendant. The woman smiled sweetly, the smile not making it’s way to her eyes, as she glanced over the rest of him, obviously checking for more weapons. He smirked at her, reaching down to tear off his knife holster from his right ankle. He smacked it down on the counter for good measure while glaring at her and she rolled her eyes. He walked through the body scanner, holding still before she ushered him to go through. He ignored her sarcastic remark of “have a _great_ night _.”_

He walked down the dark hallway, it becoming darker before it became brighter with a UV light overhead, followed by a pink light. Blue light, pink light, blue light, pink light until he reached the doors and pushed through.

His ears were assaulted with the bass music as he looked across the area. It was large, and there was the main bar area to the right, the main stage in the centre, surrounded by tables and chairs, and against the walls were secluded booths with curtains drawn, just sheer enough to see if they were occupied or not. Just past the bar there was the hallway to the service rooms and upper offices.

His eyes adjusted to the low lighting and he saw several girls on the runway-like stage, sliding on poles and dancing erotically. Nothing that piqued his interest but he felt like he needed to find some release. Surely there would be a girl for the job – but he was fussy and not anyone would do.

He made his way to the bar, keeping his eyes locked ahead as he passed politicians, councilman, lawmakers and the like.

Everyone has a vice, everyone has a sin.

The bartender nodded, flitting off to get his whisky, before returning with his usual order. He took the drink with a nod to the bartender and moved to his usual booth – it was the closest one to the bar and the hallway, so he could easily keep an eye on people’s coming and goings. He had found it was a great way to figure out some of society’s most prominent leaders and people of powers’ motivations – especially when they made their way up to the service rooms with known prostitutes.

Not that he could judge. He was just as shady. He sighed – what case was he working on again? Was this even a case anymore or was this just who he was, really?

He was brought out of his musings, as his view was blocked. He looked up into yellow eyes and almost wanted to groan out in contempt. He was not in the mood.

“Sasuke-kun, how lovely to see you…”. Sasuke could liken the man’s voice to nails down a chalkboard, a person chewing loudly, the squeaking of Styrofoam, a baby crying on a twelve hour fligh- -

“My, my Sasuke-kun – you are brooding more than usual today? Is there anything, anything at _all_ , that I can help you with?”

Sasuke ignored the very obvious proposition, and sipped his drink before looking up at the man.

“You could move out of the way and stop blocking my view.” Sasuke growled before looking down again, looking past the very much unwanted obstruction in his line of sight.

“Oh, now is that really how you say hello?” The man’s chuckle made Sasuke’s hair stand on end. This guy was the encyclopedia definition of creepy. He mused that should you turn to ‘creepy’ in the book, a picture of Orochimaru would appear there, immortalized.

Sasuke gripped his drink tightly, feeling his knuckles creak as Orochimaru sat down on the other side of the booth, the table the only thing in-between them.

Sasuke mentally counted to ten, watching the people going about their night, enjoying the peace and quiet - - not getting harassed, which brought him back to his present issue.

“What do you want Orochimaru?”

As the man sighed, Sasuke stopped people watching and looked at Orochimaru who was looking at him disappointedly.

“It’s always business with you, isn’t it?” Sasuke looked away, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of a rebuttal.

“Fine, have it your way. There is a shipment coming in, and your Sergeant-Major has a close eye on it.”

Sasuke sipped from his drink again, just barely hearing Orochimaru’s hushed voice over the loud base music.

He sat, quietly thinking. It would be difficult. He wasn’t a miracle worker.

“It is making me uneasy.”

Sasuke sharply turned to look at Orochimaru – it wasn’t usual for Orochimaru to make small talk. But he realized it wasn’t small talk when he could see the tightness around his eyes.

He breathed in calmly, steeling himself.

“You have an informant.” His voice was steady as he held Orochimaru’s gaze, before turning to survey the people around once again.

“Maybe closer than I think.”

Sasuke slowly turned to Orochimaru again. The man’s lips were firmly pressed together. Sasuke could feel his hands slick with sweat. He needed to play this carefully. He needed to find out who this informant was.

The older man tilted his head ever so slightly.

“It would disappoint me greatly, should _I_ find _something_ out that I don’t like. Things are already too far out of control.”

The man’s cryptic words only heightened Sasuke’s panic. He kept his face guarded, struggling to swallow normally.

“You need to prove yourself.” The man’s face broke out into a lecherous grin, his words rolling off his tongue.

Sasuke felt the sweat beading on his back, underneath his shirt.

“Whilst I might have adequate means of being a step ahead – as of recently, my usual measures have, for a lack of a better word, proved _inadequate_.”

The man turned away from Sasuke to look over the venue – his eyes scanning, before his heavy gaze returned to Sasuke’s.

“I am a step behind. I do not like being a step behind, Sasuke.” The man’s gaze was calm, but Sasuke could feel the anger simmering behind it. The lack of the usual sarcastic honorific put Sasuke even more on edge.

“Surely a man of your skill can track down an informant…”

Sasuke was speechless. He couldn’t be goaded into a retort, because he had absolutely nothing to say. His mind was wiped and replaced with fear.

What did this informant know? How much did he know?

“What do you want me to do?” The words were out of Sasuke’s mouth before he could have stopped them. He clenched his fists as he handed over his last bit of control.

The sharp laugh that came from the older man made Sasuke clench his teeth. The man eventually calmed, mirth dancing in his eyes.

“Oh Sasuke-kun, there are many, many things you could _do_ for me… why don’t you be creative?” As the lecherous grin was back in place, Sasuke felt his stomach flip, and he diverted his gaze back to the people walking around.

He needed to remain calm, he needed to remain collected. After a minute, mulling things over, wondering how he could bargain, he turned to look at Orochimaru, a glint in his eyes.

“You don’t trust me.”

Orochimaru bristled. The man’s lips curved into a smile, yet his eyes tightened.

“Have you proved to me otherwise?”

Sasuke’s fists clenched.

“I think I have.”

“Mmmm, simple favors, simple tasks.”

Sasuke grit his teeth, breathing through his nose as his anger threatened to take over.

“ _Simple_ pales in comparison to what I have done for you.”

Orochimaru stared at Sasuke for a while, taking in his words, seemingly waiting for the younger man to back down. When Sasuke continued to glare, his anger barely contained, the older man simply sighed, looked to the table and shook his head.

“A pity, Sasuke. Everything has a price. That drink, that suit,” Orochimaru’s gaze passed over Sasuke, and Sasuke struggled to make it seem that it didn’t affect him. Orochimaru knew for a fact that it did, regardless.

The man continued, “… the media. Your tastes are less than savoury. What would your poor family’s name be reduced to?”

Sasuke immediately slammed his fist on the table. Orochimaru didn’t flinch.

“You bring my family into this, and you will regret it.”

“Sasuke, empty threats don’t have quite the same effect. Help me with this developing issue, and you can consider your debt… repaid.”

The older man cleared his throat and stood, and Sasuke continued to stare into the spot he was sitting, his chest heaving. He hardly realized that his hand was bleeding, his glass smashed.

“Remember, be creative.”


	2. Silver Linings

The shrill sound of his phone going off made him groan. He reached out, trying to find it, knocking over a bottle onto the floor. The shattering of glass caused him to yell his frustrations, a chorus of _fuck fuck fuck_ filling the room. He finally got to his phone, stumbling over his ottoman, stubbing his toe, and hitting his injured hand on one of the kitchen island chairs.

He picked up his phone, and didn’t bother screening it.

“What?” He growled.

“Oh my, Sasuke, what a way to talk to your superior. Although I am glad to hear that you must _still_ be with the living, as you have answered your phone, although it did take a while for you to answer – been drinking again?”

Sasuke clenched his eyes shut tightly, breathing out through gritted teeth as he tried to ignore the throbbing in his toe, hand and head. He tried to calm himself. He failed.

“Sir, with all due to respect, it’s my day off.”

There was a pause at the other end.

“No Sasuke, _yesterday_ was your day off. Today is Tuesday. Unless you put in a form to take another day off?”

Sasuke could feel the grin on the other end of the line.

He sighed, “I’ll be there in 30.”

“Not a worry, not that it will result in another warning, an inquiry into your ability as a detective, or another suspension.”

Sasuke looked up at the ceiling, before bringing his injured hand to rub at his eyes in exasperation.

The other end of the line was silent, waiting.

Sasuke sighed, “Sir, I am deeply sorry. I will be there very soon. I understand should my behavior and work ethic be called into question.”

Sasuke waited for a response. Silence.

“Hello? Hello?”

“I’m just fucking with you, Sasuke. Don’t bother coming to the station, meet me at our usual spot now.”

Sasuke pulled his phone away and glared at it.

He fucking hung up on him.

 

* * *

 

He pulled into the car park, his sleek black Audi in stark contrast to the dilapidated warehouse.

He walked to the warehouse door, pulling it open, cringing as rust moved on rust, the squealing noise making his hangover feel like a saw was being moved between the lobes of his brain.

He struggled to pull it shut with his injured hand and turned, before making his way deeper into the abandoned warehouse.

He carefully stepped around fallen material, a resounding _ting_ repeatedly sounding through the whole warehouse, as he made his way through another steel doorway.

Ahead of him was his Sergeant-Major, a golf club in hand. The man steadied his feet, before looking at his target, back to the ball, and back to the target. He moved his grip, the golf club moving behind him before coming forward.   ?

_Ting._

The man replaced the golf ball, before repeating the action.

Sasuke shifted his feet, his impatience growing by the second.

“Sir –“

“Shh shh, a man is at work.”

Sasuke could only roll his eyes, as the man’s focus returned to his golf game, the resulting _ting_ followed by a window shattering had the older man fist pumping, and letting out a victory cry.

The man turned to face Sasuke. Sasuke stared at the man, exasperated, brows furrowed.

“Give me a break, I have few joys in life.”

“And obviously, one of them is making my life hell.”

Kakashi placed a finger to his mouth – only what Sasuke thought _was_ his mouth as his lower face was covered with a mask. Of which, he never received a straight answer when he queried why in _hell_ would his Sergeant-Major wear an idiotic mask. Top it with an eye patch, and the walking example of idiocy was complete.

“Yes, you might be right.” The man placated, his hands raised up in a shrug before he unceremoniously dropped the golf club. He moved towards Sasuke, his arms folded.

“When were you going to tell me?” Sasuke bit out, shifting weight from one foot to the other.

“Tell you what?” Kakashi mocked ignorance; his only visible eye closing with what must have been a very satisfied grin.

“That you have an informant and that basically my role is useless.”

Kakashi dropped his hands by his side, his eye opening, the grin gone.

“If you believe that, than you haven’t learnt much at all.”

Sasuke folded his arms, his gaze dropping to the floor. He didn’t care what the older man thought, he was in a precarious position and he needed to get out of it.

The older man started off tentatively; “I have received some… information. It isn’t much, but just enough. You might see why I am wary to receive such information, when it hasn’t come through you first.” The older man sighed.

Sasuke paused. He looked up into a tired eye – Sasuke could see the dark circle underneath.

“It’s a test?”

Kakashi shrugged – “Possibly, but all he would be proving is that you are inept. Unless he might be trying to play you into a corner.”

Sasuke growled, his hands coming to fist in his hair, “It’s a bit late for that, I don’t know what to do.”

Sasuke could feel Kakashi’s eye on him, watching him as he paced.

“If this was his intention, he doesn’t have anything to gain – you heard it from him first, he might have suspected that I would relay the information to you when I first heard it, assuming that I trusted you, would confide in you and put you in position with him and into action, using you against him.”

Sasuke paused, his hands still in place as his eyes wandered over the floor – he wasn’t panicking. No, Uchiha Sasuke didn’t panic.

“Hence you didn’t tell me?”

Kakashi nodded before continuing.

“So depending on your actions, more importantly your reaction, he will come to the assumption that you aren’t _entirely_ taking in his hospitality in order to get information, as it proves that you aren’t trusted within the force to be privy to information that he purposefully leaks. Which means that you aren’t trusted, you really _are_ a crooked cop, and _really_ are just trying to have a good time, filled with booze, tits and - -“

Sasuke dropped one of his hand, raising it, cutting Kakashi off.

“Please, enough.”

Kakashi raised his hands again, placating. Sasuke breathed out, his injured hand coming up to cover his eyes.

“Ok, he blindsided me and said that you were looking at a shipment.”

“And?”

“I didn’t know what to do. I thought that he was insinuating that I had leaked the information to you.”

“Well maybe that is what he believes?”

Sasuke growled, bring his other hand up, using both to rub his face in exasperation.

“He is testing me, Kakashi.”

“It isn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last.”

Sasuke huffed, dropping his hands to his side, clenching his fists open and shut.

Kakashi folded his arms, “Look, seeing from your reaction today, in this moment, I am certain that he got the reaction that he wanted, or at least was hoping for - you look like shit, Sasuke.”

Sasuke smirked and huffed, a bit of relief building at the man’s words, before shaking his head at the other man.

He sighed, “So if he doesn’t think I leaked it, and let’s say whether or not he did or did not leak it purposefully, wouldn’t he have too much to lose?”

“Not necessarily – this whole thing could be a hoax designed to get you on your heels and fuck up. He is testing you after all.” Kakashi moved to sit on a bit of debris from the missing roof, elegantly crossing his legs.

Sasuke crossed his arms, and looked at the floor, frowning, he shook his head.

“He seemed really on edge, concerned. He was short with me.”

“Maybe a part of the play?”

Sasuke shook his head again.

“No, he is worried.”

Kakashi hummed.

“He asked me to be creative.”

Kakashi’s only visible eyebrow shot up.

“In what way?”

Sasuke shrugged, “I got the distinct impression that he didn’t know who the informant was, and that he wanted me to find out who it is – meaning… that I am not the only one in this situation?”.

Kakashi’s brow furrowed.

“That is unexpectedly expected.”

Sasuke looked at him sharply.

“It is an opportunity to flush out our department and for you to gain favour with him.”

Sasuke turned to sit upon another piece of rubble from the roof, across from Kakashi. He rested his forearms on his knees.

“I don’t think he knows who the informant is. I think he is using me to sort his issue and he feels threatened enough by the issue, to threaten me.” Sasuke ticked off his points on his fingers of his injured hand.

“Don’t forget, that it is now confirmed that there is someone else in the department who is certainly working for him. He definitely has a shipment coming in if his reaction is anything to go by, which, let’s admit seems to be very aggressive and slightly out of character for him.”

Sasuke hnnn’d his agreement.

“And that he trusts you.”

Sasuke looked into Kakashi’s eyes, mouth agape.

“What?”

“He trusts you, otherwise he wouldn’t put you in this position of power.”

Sasuke groaned, rolling his eyes.

“How the fuck is this a position of power, Kakashi?”

Kakashi held up a hand, “Let me finish.”

Sasuke sighed.

“Why hasn’t he asked one of his goons? He has a lot of people at his beck and call – people in _high_ positions of power, Sasuke. Why rely on you?”

Sasuke frowned.

“I… have a lot to lose. In playing this game, I’ve tarnished my name and reputation. I rely on him.”

Kakashi nodded, “But let’s be honest, you tarnished your reputation long before he got his hands on you. You went to him, remember?”

Sasuke glared at Kakashi, his fists clenching.

Kakashi held his pointer finger up, waving it around, his visible eye closed.

“You knew he had information on Itachi. And he has held that over you for some time – when was the last time you got your end of the bargain?”

Sasuke sighed, “Not for a year.”

“Sasuke, I think he doesn’t have anything else for you. He can’t afford to lose you after making a considerable contribution or should I say investment? Yes, investment in you.”

Sasuke shuddered at this, and Kakashi merely grinned behind his mask before continuing. He slouched, putting his head in his hands, despairing at the fact that Kakashi might be right as he _almost_ wished Kakashi wouldn’t continue as this was becoming too much and he didn’t know if he could handle any more of the spiels of truth coming from the older man.

“So he gets desperate – who can he ask? Of course, he asks the man who still has something to lose; what’s left of your reputation, the information on Itachi and lastly, your life. Ultimately, he needs you to find someone – why not kill two, possibly three birds with one stone?”

Sasuke looked up from his hands, to Kakashi.

Kakashi held up three fingers.

“One, he uses you to find the informant or informants within our department, thereby clearing you from said informing. Two, creates a distraction within the department, maybe to the point that the focus is pulled from the shipment and the spotlight is cast on the department; both bad for our productivity and image. And three…”.

Kakashi frowned and trailed off, before humming to himself.

Sasuke frowned too, before his eyebrows shut up, “He’ll be able to implicate me, should anything go wrong.”

Kakashi clicked his fingers at him.

“Yes he would… but to what degree? How _creative_ does he want you to be?”

 

* * *

 

This was literally the last place that he wanted to be but he didn’t have a choice, did he? His new objective seemed to suck the life out of his previous enjoyment of _Sound_.

The club music was in full effect and the bass seemed to reverberate in his skull and teeth. He didn’t even feel like fucking. And with this epiphany, Sasuke knew he was off kilter. He watched the patrons walk through, occasionally watching a pair of hips swing past, in tow usually a paying patron. He sighed as he downed his whiskey, setting it down, the ice tinkling and swirling in the glass.

It was probably 30 seconds at most, before a scantily clad bar maid made her way over to replace his drink with a fresh one. He swiftly glared up at her, but she paid no notice, taking the old glass away.

Sasuke sighed and looked up at the mirror covered ceiling, staring at his reflection. 

Was this the face of the condemned? Because he sure as _hell_ made a deal with the devil.

He sighed again, looking down again to nurse his drink. His heart felt heavy, he wasn’t sleeping well and he had a particularly rough time at the department this past week – his colleagues gave him a lot of space, making him wonder what possible rumor was going around about him as of late.

What he needed was a miracle. He was no closer to finding the informant. He questioned if this was a ploy by Orochimaru, to make him doubt his sanity. 

He looked up as he felt eyes on him and he groaned, looking down at his hands and drink, closing his eyes, cursing his luck. Speak of the devil. 

Orochimaru slinked over, because Sasuke could only describe it as slinking – slinking fit the creepiest description Sasuke could manage.

His fucking luck!

He didn’t look up as he felt the booth dip on the other side, nor when there was tapping on the mirror table. If only he could reach over and break the man’s hand or better yet, rip off a finger or two to stop that awful tapping sound, would you fuck of—

“My, Sasuke. You do not look well.”

Sasuke lifted his gaze to give the man a disbelieving look. The older man looked amused.

Sasuke rolled his eyes upward, “Oh, I wonder why that may be? Hmmm, let me see –“ Sasuke paused, tapping his chin with his middle finger before snapping his fingers and glaring at Orochimaru, “as yes, now I remember – you can fuck off.”

Sasuke held his gaze, unnervingly – of which he was quite proud of himself, but he had a feeling that it had a lot to do with the liquid courage coursing through his veins.

Orochimaru simply smiled. 

“I see you are a mean drunk.” 

Sasuke slouched, as he looked back down at his drink. The older man held his silence. 

“I-I am no closer than when we last spoke.”

Orochimaru merely brought his hands up, before folding them neatly on the table.

“I assume it would take time. No pressure, no pressure.”

Sasuke looked up at the man, eyebrows furrowing, before he took in the smirk and knew that the man’s words of _comfort_ was simply a mockery.

“Sasuke, diamonds are found in the rough. It takes pressure to make diamonds.” The older man seemed to sigh out as he said it. He obviously was _trying_.

Sasuke scoffed – if this was meant to be comforting, the man was as comforting as dinner and a show with Death himself.

“How about you relax? You seem awfully…. _uptight_.”

Sasuke bristled at the look Orochimaru gave him. He could feel those eyes seemingly look straight through him. 

A yell to his right, coming from the hallway grabbed both their attention, breaking the weird unwanted sexual tension, of which Sasuke was most grateful for.

Sasuke could only feel complete puzzlement and shock, when the usually controlled and pedantic Kabuto appeared from the hallway, red faced as he truly struggled to pull along what could only be the _loudest_ person Sasuke had come to witness. And that was _over_ the sound of the bass music in the club.

The man was tall, about a head taller than Kabuto and annoyingly, himself included. Sasuke looked to Orochimaru, who seemed to be paying attention, looking slightly over his shoulder at the scene. Sasuke felt himself get worried for the blond haired man as he could see the irritation flit through Orochimaru’s eyes.

Sasuke looked back over at the towering blond, as he simply had to lean back on Kabuto to make Kabuto’s life more difficult. 

Sasuke then tuned into what the blond was saying, his eyebrows rising and eyes widening at the vulgar language spewing from the blond.

“—fucking touch me again and I swear that your balls will find their way to your eye sockets, don’t ask me how, I will fucking make it happen and then your face will fucking be a visual representation of the fact that you are a _fucking DICKHEAD! I swear to fucking GOD, touch me one more tim—“_

“ _Silence_.” Sasuke could feel himself want to shrivel up and die at Orochimaru’s hissed order, as he could see Orochimaru’s hands that were folded nicely on the table now were both clenched into tight fists.

However this blond didn’t seem to have a fucking clue!

“Silence? Silence? How about you get this cock gobbling, child touching piece of shit off of me? Orochimaru, I won’t stand for this, we have an agreeme—“

The blond did stop when Orochimaru’s hand came down so hard as to crack the mirror table. As the silence among the four men continued, Orochimaru carefully withdrew his hand, inspecting it before wrapping his sleeve around it. He slowly took a breath in.

Sasuke was certain that he was dead. Everyone was dead. So fucking dead.

“Then you can sit.” Orochimaru’s quiet and controlled rebuttal had the blond, what Sasuke could only assume, frown at the man. The blond had black material draped over the lower half of his face, only his eyes and blond hair visible.

The man seemed to want to retort as he was dragged in front of the table, before he crumpled to the floor on his knees as Kabuto kicked the back of them. The man growled as his hair was tugged back harshly, his eyes flashing up at Kabuto’s as Kabuto wore a cruel smile, his hands twisting and pulling at the roots. The tanned man’s hands moved up to grab Kabuto’s hands, seemingly to stop Kabuto’s cruel ministrations, but to not much success.

Sasuke watched the man’s throat work as he growled, and he found himself looking at his collar bones, his broad shoulders, the tanned skin seemingly endless, down a strong chest, abs –

“Are you calm?” Orochimaru’s voice was still quiet, but there was amusement coiled in it.

Sasuke felt eyes on him and snapped his gaze from the blond to Orochimaru’s; the smirk on the older man’s face indicating Sasuke hadn’t been discreet in the slightest. Sasuke frowned, irked that the older man kept holding his gaze, before he stopped the staring contest and dropped his gaze back to his drink, finding it very interesting. 

The growled response of “Yes…” was followed by a yelp as Kabuto proceeded to knee the tanned man in the back. The man growled again, before repeating, “Yes… Orochimaru- _sama_.” 

“Wonderful.” The chipper slimy tone that Orochimaru spoke with had Sasuke on edge.

 _Fuck_.

“Kabuto, please release the poor man, he has red marks all up his arms – surely he won’t fetch a decent price if he is damaged. Please don’t damage the merchandise.” 

Kabuto seemingly braced himself, before releasing the man’s hair in one go, taking several steps back. The blond rolled his shoulders before he looked behind at Kabuto. Sasuke could swear the man’s eyes flashed.

“Now, where are my manners? Sasuke, this is Naruto – Naruto this is… _Naruto_!” The man called Naruto snapped his murderous gaze from the man behind him to snap to Orochimaru, and then Sasuke as Orochimaru’s stern address grabbed his attention.

“Naruto, this is Sasuke. Sasuke is a Detective with the Konoha Police. He comes from a prestigious family, the Uchihas – you may know of them?”. Orochimaru seemed pleased with himself as he folded his arms, his gaze plastered to Naruto’s as Sasuke could see the blond’s eyes narrow to slits. 

“How _honourable_.” Naruto drawled, his voice subdued, and Sasuke felt himself bristle at the scrutiny.

“Naruto here, is an exotic commodity – a man who is willing to do _anything_ for money.”

Naruto’s eyes snapped from Sasuke’s to Orochimaru’s, Naruto showing his displeasure at that description just through his furrowed eyebrows alone. Sasuke wondered how the blond could be so expressive just with his eyes and eyebrows alone. Orochimaru seemingly smirked. And then Sasuke almost felt like he was in the twilight zone, because Orochimaru face changed and looked _genuinely_ surprised.

“What? No rebuttal? No insult? No scathing remark?” Orochimaru waited and watched the tanned man, a perplexed smile on his face.

Sasuke looked back to Naruto as Naruto turned to gaze at the floor, his eyes downcast. Sasuke could see his clenched fists resting on his thighs.

Sasuke frowned, whilst Orochimaru simply laughed in pure delight, clapping his hands a couple of times.

“My my, Naruto, you have learned quickly!”

“Not quick enough, Orochimaru-sama.” Kabuto cut in, and he flinched as the blond snapped his head around to glare at him.

Sasuke took a long drink from his glass. Yep, it was certain, this was the weirdest fucking day in his life. 

“What do you think, Sasuke?” Sasuke’s gaze rose from his drink to Orochimaru’s, shrugging before putting his glass down. He wasn’t going to acknowledge Orochimaru’s little games; the shit-eating grin the older man was wearing was bad enough.

“What do I think about…what?”

 “Come now, Sasuke. You can appreciate things of beauty. Naruto is beautiful, no?” Orochimaru chuckled, and in Sasuke’s mind’s eye, he imagined Orochimaru rubbing his hands gleefully – like a fly, yes, like a dirty fucking filthy fly. 

Sasuke looked over at Naruto, the tanned man’s gaze stuck to the floor, but Sasuke could tell this line of conversation was not something that Naruto took enjoyment, evident through the way the man clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

Sasuke smirked, before he shrugged.

“No.”

Orochimaru blinked.

“Besides... more like a pot calling a kettle black. How _honourable._ ”

Sasuke brought up his drink to sip as he waited for the response from the blond as he used his words against him, and stared at Orochimaru, the older man’s face held carefully blank, whilst Sasuke ignored what he could _feel_ was Naruto’s glare.

“Listen here, asshole, I’ll hav-“ 

“Now now, Naruto. Aren’t you meant to be somewhere? There are tips to be had, _remember?_ ” The fact that Orochimaru sing-songed at the end made Sasuke feel that he had signed his death warrant.

He wasn’t going to hear the end of this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naruto has arrived, so trouble follows, naturally! Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments! Next chapter to follow shortly!


	3. The Bait

The next week, the atmosphere in the office was physically tangible. And Sasuke knew that it was because information that there was an informant in the department had made it’s way around – either once again leaked by whomever Sasuke was meant to track down, or another rumor? Regardless, there was an informant – one or ten, it didn’t matter. They would have to come out of the woodwork soon to play Orochimaru’s game.

He kept his head down after the poignant stares that he was getting from colleagues were only increasing as the day went on. He stared down at his report, and read what he had written so far. He growled before he scrunched it up, putting his head in his hands. He really should lay off the alcohol.

A knock on the partition of his cubicle made Sasuke snap his gaze to the intruder.

“Hey Uchiha, you alright?”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the police officer.

“Detective Uchiha, thank you.”

The black-blue haired man raised his hands in defense.

“Sorry sorry – geez, you need to lighten up, Sir.” The taller man simply grinned down. Obviously Sasuke’s glare wasn’t having much effect.

Sasuke turned back to his new blank report. 

“Hey-“ and Sasuke slowly turned incredulously back to face his colleague as the taller man leaned forward closer to say in a hushed voice, “ _do you go to Sound?_ ”

Sasuke’s glare intensified as he quickly scanned who might be in eavesdropping range.

 “Officer, I suggest –“

The taller man simply rolled his hand over again, rolled his eyes, before he leaned in a bit closer.

“ _I got an invite._ ”

Sasuke leaned back in his chair and assessed the man. The man was practically bouncing from foot to foot. Sasuke quickly brought up his mask of indifference.

“ _Well? Did you get an invite?”_

Sasuke simply nodded woodenly, trying to calmly and indifferently react. He hadn’t needed an invitation. He went to Orochimaru, not the other way around. 

“ _I am not sure what to do? Are you heading there?”_

Sasuke simply nodded again. What was Orochimaru playing at? How deeply entwined was this officer?

Sasuke flinched as the taller man’s hand came down to clap on his shoulder.

“Sick! I’ll see you there!”. The man swiftly walked off, leaving Sasuke to stare at his report.

He needed to talk to Orochimaru. 

* * *

To want to talk to Orochimaru was odd – he felt off kilter as everything in his body rejected the idea that he _actually_ needed to talk to the older man for once. The barmaid was as diligent as ever – it was a Friday, he had his drink, he had his booth and the music was the usual brain rattling volume.

He kept scanning the venue for Orochimaru, but the one time he wanted to talk to him and he fucking vanishes. He couldn’t even spot the man’s right hand man.

He glared sourly at the passing patrons – what a stupid fucking week. He took a big gulp of his drink, closing his eyes as he tried to force relaxation upon himself. Surprise, surprise, it didn’t work.

He set his glass down and felt the booth shift. Across from him sat the police officer from work. His face was practically close to splitting in half due to his manic grin.

Sasuke felt his mood plummet further.

“HEY!” The man shouted over the music.

Sasuke simply wanted to smash his own forehead into the repaired mirror table to curb his sudden increase of overpowering annoyance. Fuck his luck. Sasuke instead, simply stared at the man, and feigned boredom.

“So uh, do you even know my name?”

Sasuke shrugged, he couldn’t be bothered to care.

“It’s Mizuki – I mean we’ve worked together for like, 3 years?”

Sasuke ignored the man, returning to survey the passing patrons.

“Man, I’ve made it to the big time! I can’t believe this!”

Sasuke snapped his gaze to Mizuki’s, his head shaking slightly at the man – the man was excitedly looking around, blatantly checking out girls. He sipped his drink, wondering why Orochimaru would employ a muppet.

And alike to a ghost, he seemed to materialize at the bar. He stood tall, and Sasuke realized that Naruto was backed against the bar; Orochimaru’s arms either side of him keeping him there. Sasuke halted his drinking, watching the interaction. What was Naruto doing? Surely whatever Orochimaru could pay was not worth the psychological and physical pain that no doubt the blond would experience?

Sasuke could see the side of Orochimaru’s face twisting into a cruel smile, and Naruto’s blank stare – Sasuke could tell that Naruto was talking as his lower facemask moved. Whatever Naruto was saying only made Orochimaru more amused. It seemed like Naruto wanted to become one with the bar if how he was leaning back over it to get away from Orochimaru was any indication.

Sasuke tore his gaze away. There wasn’t anything he could do. Yet he couldn’t not look. He turned his gaze back to the pair.

He watched as Orochimaru raised a hand, Naruto tilting his face away slightly, eyes wary. Sasuke watched as Naruto flinched when Orochimaru’s hand came to gently rest on his upper chest, before moving up to wrap gently around his throat. Sasuke had to smirk as Naruto glared back at Orochimaru. Tilting his upper body into the grip, challenging.

He would give it to the man that he was brave – stupid, but brave. Sasuke felt his eyebrows raise, conspicuously mock sipping from his drink as he watched Naruto bring his hands that were tightly gripping the bar edge behind him to push on Orochimaru’s chest. From the way that Orochimaru seemed to lean his weight further forward, Naruto seemed to be exerting a lot of force. Orochimaru abruptly let go of Naruto’s neck before standing back, just as it seemed that Naruto really had _had it_ , and his hands came close to gripping Orochimaru’s face.

Orochimaru simply smirked before he gestured towards Sasuke’s table. 

No no no, don’t bring that bundle of crazy over here. Sasuke groaned and closed his eyes in complete disbelief at his luck. He slunk in his booth seat, gripping his drink, staring at it like it was the most interesting thing in the universe.

The whole time Mizuki had been talking his ears off, not that Sasuke had noticed, but a part of him wanted to warn the man that Orochimaru was headed over, but there wasn’t enough –

Sasuke tried to ignore the presence of the blond in front of his table. He wandered how the blond always managed to move with what Sasuke could only describe as predatory grace.

He could see out of the corner of his eye as Orochimaru appeared from behind Naruto.

“My, what a pleasure to see you Officer Mizuki.”

The man in question stopped his babbling and wild gesturing at Sasuke to look up at Orochimaru and then Naruto, mouth agape. Sasuke looked up at Orochimaru. What was the man thinking? What was this play?

“Orochimaru-sama, thank you. It is a privilege to be here.” Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes at the man’s ass kissing.

“No no, the pleasure is all mine. I see you got my _invitation_.”

Sasuke turned to look at Orochimaru and then Mizuki. The grin that broke out of Mizuki’s face as the man turned to look from Orochimaru to leer at Naruto had Sasuke cringing in disgust, gripping his glass tightly.

“Yes, yes I did. Although it was lacking.”

Orochimaru turned sharply to glance at Naruto, and then back to Mizuki.

“Oh? How so, Officer Mizuki? Was it less than satisfactory?”

Sasuke could see the mock puzzlement Orochimaru displayed at the comment, but the way Orochimaru’s eyes tightened around the eyes ever so slightly said otherwise. Naruto was literally vibrating with unchecked rage, his gaze glued to the floor, fists tightening by the second.

Mizuki shrugged, “I asked him to swallow.”

Before Orochimaru could make a remark, Mizuki spat at Naruto, the spit hitting Naruto across eyes. Sasuke leaned back, taking his drink in hand, as the blond launched himself at the other man, his hands coming out, and ready to bring pain. The blond was stopped mid launch as his head was ripped back and down, forcing him to drop to his knees.

The whole time Mizuki’s laugh was loud, buffeted only by the music.

Orochimaru’s voice was strained, as he held Naruto by his hair, “Now Naruto, the man has placed a _complaint_. It is your _role_ within service, that dictates you should _listen_.” Orochimaru tugged at Naruto’s hair with each emphasized word.

Sasuke watched as Naruto simply looked up at Orochimaru – the anger and rage swirling in them making even Sasuke a little concerned for his _own_ safety being in close proximity to the blond.

As Naruto didn’t react further, Orochimaru’s slightly shaking arm relaxed, before that same hand ran it’s fingers through the blond strands. Sasuke looked away, feeling his gut twist. He took another swig of his drink.

Mizuki cut in, “He seemed to prefer it on his face anyway!” And Mizuki was set off again, laughing hysterically, looking over at Sasuke and back to Orochimaru, slapping his hand on the table in glee. The fact that both Sasuke and Orochimaru weren’t amused didn’t seem to deter him.

Sasuke honestly felt that should this man find himself in a terrible predicament, Sasuke would be most grateful. Sasuke turned to observe Naruto. The blond maintained his locked gaze with Orochimaru, the anger ever present in his blue eyes. Regardless of the comment, he remained on his knees, his clenched fists resting on his quads.

Sasuke raised his gaze to see Orochimaru wrapping his sleeve around his hand before bringing it to Naruto’s face.

“Oh sweet _kitsune_ , close your eyes.”

Sasuke sneered in disgust as the blonde’s eyes fluttered shut, although Sasuke noticed the tendons standing out in the blond’s neck. Orochimaru diligently and ever so gently wiped the spit away.

After the older man had wiped it away, using the pads of his fingers, he gently trailed them over the blonde’s forehead, down the visible part of the blond’s nose, across a clothed cheek, before cupping the blond’s face ever so gently. Sasuke watched, as the blond was complicit, almost entirely different from when he had first seen him with Kabuto. He frowned, was a week enough to break this man’s spirit?

He realized that he had finished his drink, and that a new drink was placed before his fingers. He let go of the old glass to look up into the bar maid’s eyes. They were carefully blank.

“Ah Tayuya dear, please see to Mizuki here. He wasn’t satisfied with his last _engagement_. Could you please see to it that he is satisfied?”

Orochimaru’s eyes never left Naruto’s, as he continued to cup the blond’s face. Sasuke watched as Tayuya bowed her head demurely, and grimaced as Mizuki clapped his hands together before rubbing them together.

“Oh, lucky me!” Mizuki stood up quickly, following the red head, disappearing around the corner, down the hall.

Sasuke turned back his attention to the display before the table. He watched as Orochimaru tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, glancing at Sasuke before looking down at the blond again.

“You will get what you want very soon. _Remember_.” Orochimaru’s voice was almost so quiet that Sasuke didn’t hear. He feigned ignorance as he nursed his drink.

The blond stood smoothly and stalked off. Orochimaru watched as the blond went. Sasuke gripped his glass between his hands, relishing in how the ice in the glass soothed his hands, almost soothing the irrational irritation that he could feel running through his veins. Almost.

Orochimaru sighed before tiredly taking a seat at the booth. Sasuke looked up from his drink to stare into Orochimaru’s tired eyes.

“Things of beauty come at a costly price, Sasuke.”

Sasuke merely tilted his head, questioning. Orochimaru simply shrugged.

“I like pretty things. Now, I’m sure you aren’t looking at me with complete irritation for no reason. Speak your mind.”

Sasuke opened his mouth and paused. He swallowed and continued, “How many informants do you have in my department?”

Orochimaru smirked.

“Would that not make your job all too easy, Sasuke-kun?” 

Sasuke bristled.

“You would be making the process a hell of a lot quicker – no one trusts me in the department, so I highly doubt I will be able to go about it through the basic process of elimination.” Sasuke grumbled, his eyes dropping to his drink.

“My my, no need to sulk.” Sasuke looked up at the older man, as he held his gaze.

Silence followed.

Sasuke dropped his gaze back down again, feeling the helplessness increase.

“There are three.”

Sasuke looked up sharply into Orochimaru’s eyes.

“Am I included in that number? 

Orochimaru cocked his head.

“Are you?" 

Sasuke bristled at the question, “Obviously.” He made a sweeping motion with his hand.

“I can’t say that I like seeing you _bitter_ , Sasuke.”

Sasuke glared at the older man.

The older man sighed, “If that is the case, than yes, there are three.”

Sasuke nodded his head ever so slightly, happy to receive the small clue.

“And Mizuki? Can you trust him?”

Orochimaru lowered his gaze to the table, humming.

“He has been working to prove himself for some time. He is most useful, whilst I detest his mannerisms, or should I say, lack of them.” Orochimaru’s gaze rose to roam over Sasuke’s face, taking in the interest he must have seen on Sasuke’s face.

“You detest him.”

The comment made Sasuke feel uncomfortable. Orochimaru always read him like a book.

“And a hint of jealousy too?”

Sasuke quickly looked to the patrons passing by.

“My, Sasuke. All you need is ask. I can arrange –“

“No, thank you.” Sasuke’s reponse was bitingly curt.

Orochimaru chuckled.

Sasuke tried to not understand what Orochimaru was offering, but he knew perfectly well. And he would _not_ admit to himself, that Orochimaru seemed to know him better than he knew himself.

Sasuke ignored the older man’s musings about the blond.

“Mmmm, well the offer still stands. Don’t deny yourself, Sasuke.”

After Orochimaru had fucked right off – much to Sasuke’s pleasure and relief. He relaxed back into his seat.

 

* * *

 

_Oh, but Sasuke. He is quite an enjoyable specimen. I had heard a many great things about him. The night is still young._

Sasuke couldn’t stop Orochimaru’s voice repeating in his head. He was just curious, he told himself. There was nothing wrong with finding the, what Sasuke could only describe the male as, blond beef cake attractive. He was attractive, plain and simple.

Yet he was working in a glorified brothel, judging Sasuke meanwhile the man seemingly needed to take a good look at himself.

He finished his drink. How many had he had? He had no fucking clue. Oh wow, what a surprise, here comes the bar wench—

And lo and behold, a new drink.

What was her name again? He took no notice of her.

Clutching his drink tightly, he looked over the patrons and noticed he was here later than usual – was it past midnight? He couldn’t tell.

The music changed, Sasuke noticed. The lights lowered throughout the venue, before the spotlights on the stage came back on. Sasuke realized that a lot more people were sitting closer to the stage – and the outer booths were all virtually empty. He leant back in the booth seat, twirling the glass in his hand around and around as the music became steadily louder. The oriental electronic beats were different from the usual heavy doof doof music that seemed to be a trademark of _Sound_.

He took a sip from his drink, before looking back to the stage and almost fucking choked, holy mother of God, for all that is _holy_ —

Naruto _prowled_ , he prowled to the beat as he walked out of the dark to easily jump onto the stage. Sasuke could easily see the definition in the blond’s body; the pink spotlight creating shadowed furrows in the blond’s back, abs, arms _jesusfuckingchrist_.

The blond bent over, his long strong legs straight, the long black ankle length pants he was wearing pulling tight over his ass, much to the pleasure of the people hollering. Naruto didn’t seem to notice, as he placed his hands flat on the stage, bracing himself before he _raised_ his legs slowly, ever so slowly, to form a perfect handstand.

Sasuke could see the blond’s control and strain, his muscles and striations popping out due to the exertion. Sasuke quickly took another big gulp of his drink, his eyes transfixed as Naruto brought his legs down slowly, his feet splaying wider to move _past_ his hands, his hands holding him up as he basically straddled his arms.

Sasuke could feel himself losing to the music, his eyes glued to Naruto.

Naruto held it for several beats before bringing his legs back, shifting his upper body down and forward, straightening his legs back up, bringing them back over his head, so that his pointed toes touched the back of his head. As the pace of the music picked up, Sasuke watched in amazement as the blond exploded with power, his legs swinging back to hit the floor, followed a backflip on the spot, landing lightly on his feet.

Sasuke paid no attention to the cheering crowd.

The blond backflipped, hand springing again and again, down the length of the runway. He repeated the process, flipping, rolling, his body evidently used to such an exertion.

As the reverb in the song hit an all high, the bass thumping, Sasuke felt his blood was boiling as Naruto slid along the stage, moving to his hands and knees, before dragging his knees along as his hands moved him forward, and Sasuke felt his brain stop functioning as the blond _thrusted_ into the floor, grinding, writhing against it, hands continuing to pull his whole body weight forward as his hips continued to dip and _grind._ Sasuke swallowed convulsively as he spread his knees apart to sink in his booth seat, trying to relieve the pressure that was building in his pants. _Sweetmother-ofallthatisholy_

Sasuke almost whimpered as the blonde _looked_ in his direction, continuing to thrust leisurely into the floor with the beat, before he looked away, sat back on his knees, leaning back, his abs standing out in sharp relief, the pants riding low as he tilted his head back, neck bare, body arched as he placed a hand over his groin to thrust into it. Naruto didn’t seem to notice the notes fluttering down around him, as he continued his thrusting, his other hand trailing up to clench in his hair, before moving down past the mask, down his neck, down his chest, to join his other hand. His hands splayed out, running down his thighs, back up and down again. It was at this point Sasuke realized that Naruto wasn’t wearing underwear under the baggy black pants. Sasuke lifted his gaze to see Naruto staring at him through half lowered lids mostly concealing the deep blue colour that made Sasuke almost want to pant in need.

Naruto moved predatorily, putting his hands down on the stage once again, to thrust against the stage. Sasuke’s brain _melted_ and he really hoped that he wasn’t drooling, but he couldn’t be bothered to care as he could feel his own erection through his pants as he carefully uncurled his hands from around his drink to discreetly go under the table to relieve _some_ of his frustration. He undid the button and zip to his pants, pulling himself out of his briefs, hissing as his cold hands hit the heat of his almost painful erection. His head snapped back and he moaned, feeling eyes on him. He raised his gaze to see Naruto looking intently at him again, the thrusts slow and strong against the stage floor. Sasuke panted as his hand moved to match Naruto’s thrusts, and Sasuke raised his gaze from Naruto’s groin to the blond’s face, and huffed as he saw the mirth in the blond’s eyes. 

He clenched his eyes against the sight before he came hard over his hand. He hastily grabbed a napkin, cleaned himself up, making himself presentable before he got up stiffly, making his way out of _Sound_ as quickly as he could without running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Let me know what you think - are you enjoying it so far? It's been fun to write so far


	4. Poker Face

He fell into his chair. He sighed a big sigh. He felt old.

He looked up to see his coworkers milling about, alike to bees milling about a hive.

He remembered the other weekend and felt himself flush with embarrassment. God, could he be any more juvenile? Regardless of his desires or needs, he had stooped to an all time low. Worse was, the blond knew what he did. He was sure of it; the utter amusement in the blond’s eyes was obvious. And Sasuke couldn’t stop thinking about it, feeling shame continue to wash over him as the niggling thought continuously rose to the surface 

He tore his gaze away to reluctantly look down to his desk and pulled out the blank report. He wished it would just disappear. However, he needed to make some progress on the case, even though he didn’t want to.

He rolled in his chair over to his filing cabinet, pulling out his keys to unlock it. He flickered his fingers through the case file, pulling out the _Unknown_ case files.

He rolled back, placing them on his desk. He braced himself, by placing his head in his hands. He always had to because he usually didn’t have a strong enough stomach.

He breathed deeply, before opening up the first case file. The images always made Sasuke want to quit. Itachi might have been able to do this once upon a time, but this was never easy for Sasuke. He tried to calmly breathe as he flicked through the images. Zip ties, rope, nails, asphyxiation --- all accidents.

The coroner might have ruled that these were _accidents_ but Sasuke and most of the department knew better.

The _murder_ weapon wasn’t left in inches of the victim’s grip. Likewise, mocking suicide letters didn’t really cut it for the department – yet if it was in the victim’s handwriting, what did it matter? Whilst they put forward the notion of foul play, the coroner always hit back that they lacked sufficient evidence. There wasn’t usually signs of breaking or entering, no fingerprints, no evidence of another person involved…

Sasuke sighed. And why were they trying to defend the dishonorable?

Because someone was leaving breadcrumbs. Crime scenes were never this perfect.

He sighed as he continued to flick through the photos, before coming to the end. He pulled out the next _Unknown_ case as always, once again flicking through the images. He would repeat this, before loosing count, hoping a pattern would jump out.

He would usually give up by the 12th file, yet there were 22 files in total. All he needed to do was spot the breadcrumb. It was there.

He sighed, threading his fingers through his hair. The office was cleared, the only sound coming from him flicking through the crime scene photos over.

He needed a drink.

 

* * *

 

 

 _Sound_ was pumping as per usual. Was he a creature of habit? Yes, he was here once again on a Friday, but to his chagrin; he had hoped he would have the self-control to avoid this place for two weeks, but he couldn’t even manage one.

He walked through the doors, nodding at Juugo, the doorman, before dropping off his gun, his knife, walking through the scanners and proceeding to his oasis.

He could feel the knots in his shoulder release as he could let go and be who he wanted to be, the pressure washing away. He scanned the floor, looking.

He felt disappointed as he took his seat.

The tap of a whisky glass on the table altered him.

Sasuke looked up in to the swollen eyes of the bar maid. He tried to feign indifference as he took in the bruises, cuts and swollen eyes. But he couldn’t. He was sure that he looked shocked if the smirk on the bar maid’s face was anything to go by.

She simply dragged her fingers along the rim of the glass before turning away slowly from Sasuke, returning to the bar.

Sasuke watched her go, concern flitting through him. He didn’t know why he cared. He put it down to the fact that the bruises on her face were overly vicious. That someone had taken the time to make her hurt.

He swallowed thickly, taking a drink before his eyes flitted to the bar, following the bar maid’s return.

He saw Naruto there, next to the bar, leaning casually.

The mask was still in place. The man looked bored and forlorn. Sasuke noticed that the bar maid headed straight over to Naruto, prepared a drink and put it before the blond. The blond brought the glass to his mask, lifted it ever so slightly to conceal the glass below the mask and took the shot.

Sasuke was _not_ disappointed. The blonde seemed to be only second to Kakashi with how careful he was with his mask.

He watched the blond simply place the glass down, before reaching out to grasp a hand pouring another shot. The red head snapped her gaze up to the blond man. Sasuke could see her eyes softening. The blond simply pulled the hand and wrist to his face, under the mask to, what Sasuke could only assume, kiss the bruised and marked wrist.

Sasuke didn’t know why he breathed a sigh of relief, but he did. She seemed care for. Although it was the blond, so that slightly annoyed him. Not that he was going to start wondering _why_ that annoyed him. Better to not open that kettle of fish.

He frowned as he saw the red head smirk before she tore her wrist away, turning back to pour the next shot, picking it up and slamming it down in front of Naruto.

The blond simply took it in hand indifferently, taking it and slamming it down, his expression also closely guarded, the affection over.

Sasuke watched the exchange in interest. Did the blond have more sides to him?

Sasuke quickly averted his gaze as Orochimaru made his way to Naruto. He focused on his drink. He couldn’t help. The blond had chosen his path.

Some time passed and he closed his eyes as he felt the booth dip across from him. He felt dread flow through him. After a silence settled, he tentatively opened his eyes to stare into amused blue. The blond quickly looked away, surveying the crowd.

Sasuke gripped his glass, trying to reign in his emotions.

“You play a dangerous game.” The cutting words made Sasuke frown 

“The same could be said about you.”

The blond merely shrugged, looking back to Sasuke, eyes flashing.

“I am well equipped.”

Sasuke smirked. He took a long drink. The pounding music filled the silence between them.

“You haven’t given in.”

Sasuke lowered his glass, resting it against his bottom lip, swallowing thickly before putting the glass down. The almost complimentary tone that entered the blond’s tone when he commented made Sasuke bristle. He wouldn’t ever give in. He tried to keep his gaze neutral.

“No… unlike some of us.” The words were out of Sasuke’s mouth before he could rein them back.

The blond merely huffed his laughter, turning to survey the passing patrons again. The silence that followed was almost unbearable.

Sasuke looked up from his drink to look at Naruto. His eyes traced the curve of his jaw, followed the contours of the mask, before lifting his gaze up, to look into blue eyes. He didn’t shift his gaze as the blue eyes darkened. 

“We need to talk.”

Sasuke merely hmm’d before finishing off the rest of his drink.

He watched the blond get up and walk away, his eyes travelling over his back. He placed his drink down with a _clack_ , and swallowed thickly. He waited a few moments, watching as the blond disappeared into the hallway. 

He followed. He knew this was a bad idea, but it didn’t stop him.

 

* * *

 

 

He walked slowly down the hallway, the blond already out of sight. He stopped mid step before continuing, rounding the corner on the left. 

A couple of doors down, he could see a door standing ajar, casting tungsten lighting into the pink hallway. He continued, his feet leading him, but he paused as he neared the threshold. What was he doing? Was this not dangerous? Was he not playing into Orochimaru’s hand? A couple of service girls passed him.

He breathed in. He needed this. Yes, he did. Was it worth it to deny himself?

He turned to enter the threshold, taking a couple of steps in. He looked up to see that there was no one else in the room. There was a leather chair to his left, a white carpet adorning the bare concrete floor, a table to his right, no chairs. Another room ahead, which he assumed was the bathroom. Not exactly _home_.

He turned around sharply as he heard the door click shut behind him. The blond had one hand splayed on the door. The blond seemed to have a sad look in his eyes.

Sasuke widened his gait, flexing his hands at his side. He was not a lamb led to the slaughter; he could handle himself. The blond’s sympathy was noted but not needed.

The blond slowly let his hand slide down the door, his hands relaxed by his sides as he simply stared at Sasuke.

Silence continued. Sasuke started to feel silly – here he was, preparing to fight, to—

“Relax, I’m not here to harm you.”

Sasuke tilted his head, and relaxed slightly. The blond _sounded_ sincere – it didn’t mean that he was.

Sasuke flinched as the blond stalked forward, passed him. Sasuke slowly turned to see the blond settling himself on the carpet, dropping down to kneel.

As Sasuke stood there watching him, the blond seemed to get restless.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, could you make yourself comfortable? That stick must be lodged so far up your ass if you can’t even take a seat.”

As Naruto gestured at the leather seat, Sasuke scowled at him. What fucking right did he have? He felt his anger build as he realized that this _man whore_ didn’t know a fucking thing about him. But a part of him was wary that the blond could so easily read him. And disarm him too with just words.

He stiffly walked over to the seat, trying to ignore as the leather creaked as he sat and leant back.

Sasuke adjusted his suit jacket, pulling it down past his sides, straightening his slacks, but really rubbing his sweaty hands on them, nervously.

Sasuke looked up to see Naruto’s gaze locked to what he could assume was his belt.

Sasuke rested his hands calmly on his thighs. As time continued, he cleared his throat. The blond startled, looking up into Sasuke’s eyes from his position. 

“You said we needed to talk?” 

The blond nodded slowly. 

Before Sasuke could form another word, the blond had shuffled over to him, his hands grasping Sasuke’s belt buckle.

“Hold on a second! Get your hands off of me, you said _talk_!”

The blond didn’t stop, undoing the belt buckle and began to pull it through the belt loops as Sasuke tried to grab onto the belt moving through his hands. He growled as he heard his belt hit the floor a couple of metres away.

As Sasuke continued to resist, the blond huffed. He felt his temperature drop as the blond stood, his height towering over Sasuke as Sasuke leant back in the leather chair. He back peddled as the blond’s knee came to rest between his legs, the blond leaning down to look into his eyes.

Sasuke’s breath hitched, realizing the proximity and both loving and simultaneously hating it. He looked up into the blue eyes – there was no desire whatsoever within them.

Sasuke put his hands on the strong bare tanned chest as it lowered, the blond lowering his masked face to nuzzle at his check before hissing in his ear, despite Sasuke’s hands pushing on his chest.

“ _You asshole, if you are this thick, I am fucking amazed you’ve made this far in life – Orochimaru has cameras everywhere you fucking dickwad, so fucking calm down and don’t get too excited.”_ The tanned hand that had snaked around Sasuke’s jaw to keep his head at an angle so the blond could hiss into his ear jostled him before letting go. The blond retreated, Sasuke’s gaze snapping to his before the blond settled on his knees again between Sasuke’s legs. Sasuke tried to snap his knees together, but tanned hands shot up to keep them spread.

“ _Don’t.”_

The hissed word from the blond made Sasuke freeze. The authority and foreboding in the blond’s voice made any protestations die in Sasuke’s throat.

He settled his hands calming on the armrests of the leather seat, anchoring himself. Remain calm. Remain calm. Remain calm; he tried to focus on his mantra to not much success 

Tanned hands gripped his ankles tightly, almost painfully, before running up his calves, over his knees, to the junction where his hips met his thighs and down again.

Sasuke carefully watched the blond, the blond’s blue eyes following his ministrations. Sasuke breathed calmly through his nose, trying to remind himself that this was an act. The blond obviously needed to tell him something. But what if this was a game to make him complicit? Was this Orochimaru’s ploy?

He opened his eyes to glare at the blond. When had he closed his eyes? Who fucking knew. But the dark blue gaze directed his way as those tanned sinful hands brushed over his crotch to trail up over his stomach and further up made Sasuke question his resolve.

He realized that he was basically panting as those tanned hands began to undo his white shirt, and he tightened his grip on the hand rests of the leather chair, the leather squeaking.

The teasing hands purposefully undid the buttons slowly, before aggressively pulling the tucked in shirt from Sasuke’s slacks, diligently undoing every single one. Sasuke wished that the blond would just tear his shirt open. His grip on the chair tightened, the leather squeaking at the tension.

The blond undid the last button, placing his hands gently down on top of his upper thighs, lifting his gaze to stare into Sasuke’s. The knowing look in the dark blue eyes made Sasuke want to put his fist in the blond’s face.

“What would you _like_ , Detective Uchiha? 

Sasuke shivered at the sensual words, the blond’s voice deep. The sinful tanned hands began rubbing slowly up and down his thighs.

He wasn’t going to beg.

The blond continued his motions, growing tired. His sinful hands moved to brush past his groin again, up to part Sasuke’s shirt before resting his warm splayed fingers across Sasuke’s stomach. Sasuke’s breath hitched, and Naruto simply shifted his weight to sit down more comfortably, his chin resting on Sasuke’s right knee, waiting.

Sasuke glared at the man. Silence continued, and Sasuke felt himself calm. He squeezed the leather chair, taking controlled breaths in and out.

The blond seemed to notice as his gaze flickered to his hands, watching and listening how the leather squeaked under the tension.

Sasuke almost paled as the blond moved into action. Back on his knees, his hands moved from their splayed position and down, to rest gently over his crotch. His disappearing erection was back in seconds, and he couldn’t check the groan that came from him.

The blond merely looked at him knowingly before his eyes settled over his crotch again. Sasuke’s breath quickened as the blond undid the button on his slacks, pulled down the zip and spread open the fly. The hands retreated to rest idly on his thighs again. 

“What would you _like_ , Detective Uchiha?”.

The repeated question had Sasuke glaring at the blond. It was obvious what he wanted, right? He was so hard that he reckoned any longer, he was going to come in his briefs.

He tried to sift through the fog in his mind. Yes! Talk, that was what he wanted.

“ _Talk_.” He ground out. The blue eyes danced with mirth.

His mind shut down as tanned hands reached for his briefs, pulling them down so as to let his erection spring free. He opened his eyes to look down at the blond who gently ran his fingers up and down the length before lifting his blue eyes from his erection to his hooded eyes.

The blond got up, gripping the shaft whilst he settled his knees either side of Sasuke’s hips, sitting on his thighs. Sasuke almost hummed in pleasure.

He felt the tanned hand begin to move and he groaned. Yes, this was great. This was what he needed in his life. If ‘talking’ resulted in this more often, he would be a happy man.

He felt the blond shift above him, and opened his eyes slightly to see the blond eyes peering straight down into his. He held the gaze; quirking an eyebrow at the blank stare the blond was giving him. His panting probably reduced the effectiveness of his glare.

The blond hand quickened, sliding up and down, sliding a thumb over the top of his erection, smearing the collected droplets there. Sasuke’s groaned, his head falling back to rest against the chair.

“ _Don’t enjoy yourself too much, asshole. Now, for our talk…”._

Sasuke opened his eyes to glare into Naruto’s. The hissed whispered voice was dampening his mood and he was surprised to learn that there was actually a talk to be had, and that this wasn’t some seduction technique. Not that it _wasn’t_ effective, but Sasuke thought he was just being coerced. Joke was on him, he wasn’t very hard to coerce. He was a _little_ disappointed with himself.

The blond merely stared down at him, his blue eyes piercing his, the blond casting him in shadow as the blond leaned closer, his lips so close to Sasuke’s.

Sasuke looked down at the mask covering the man’s lower face and lips before flickering his gaze to the blond’s eyes again. The blond chuckled.

“ _Listen carefully. There is a shipment coming in. It is carrying women and children, intended to be handed over to the Triads.”_

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed at the blond. The blond continued, his hand continuing to pump his forgotten erection. “ _You have two weeks. Should any of them be alive, it will be a gift from Orochimaru to them to solidify his trade agreement with them. Orochimaru will open a new trade route for them – drugs, guns, anything that they want.”_

The blond shifted back to sit on Sasuke’s thighs his hand quickening on his erection. Sasuke languidly raised his head to glare at the blond, even though his eyes were half-cast.

He watched the blond, Naruto watching him back. 

“Why?” Sasuke bit out, his hands gripping the leather tightly, eyes narrowing. Why was Naruto telling him this? 

“Talking is over.” The blond’s eyes closed off, leaving Sasuke confused as the blond moved back and knelt between his legs again. Sasuke held his breath as the blond removed the black material from his lower face. Sasuke watched perplexed, taking in his lips, the slight stubble and the blue eyes. The blond’s eyebrows were golden along with just the tips of his eyelashes, indicating he spent a lot of time in the sun. 

Sasuke shifted back in the seat to put space between him but strong tanned hands simply gripped his thighs, pulling them so he slid back down. Sasuke growled, his glare trying to burn a hole through the blond, but the blond ignored him, his hands coming up to touch lightly over his erection. He continued to trail his fingers up and down until he heard Sasuke’s breath stutter. Sasuke jerked as the blond shifted to pull his slacks down past his knees. He maintained his glare as those tanned hands rubbed apologetically along his thighs. Blue eyes held his before they dropped.

He wanted to stop the blond’s actions as he felt his briefs being pulled down to mid thigh. He wanted to tell the blond to go fuck himself.

All he could do was moan as Naruto brought his mouth down on his erection. He dropped a hand on the blond head, threading his fingers through the hair, but was stopped as a tanned hand shot up to twist his hand away and placed it back on the leather chair hand rest.

Sasuke looked down into flashing blue eyes. He panted, his head falling back as the blond took more of him into his mouth. He felt those tanned hands running along his inner thighs, up to cup around his balls, and to grip the base of his dick. Sasuke couldn’t help thrusting into the motion. He wasn’t even aware of the noises coming out of his mouth.

The hands disappeared to repeat the same action, except Sasuke felt Naruto’s thumbs dip below his balls to brush just below. He jumped at the sensitive touch, and relaxed as the fingers pushed gently. As Naruto took in the rest of his length, he felt those fingers push _harder,_ massaging. He panted as he felt his body keen, and he looked down to see Naruto lower his mouth, sucking, cheeks hollowing, taking in Sasuke’s full length. Sasuek groaned, his hand coming to rest on the back of the blond’s head. The blond lifted up slightly, breathing calmly through his nose.

Sasuke almost growled as a tanned hand came up to move his hand away, but it simply helped thread his fingers further into the blond strands. Sasuke groaned, bringing his other hand to join, gripping the blond strands, pushing down.

He gripped the blond strands to lift up, and pushed down again, groaning at the sensation. He heard the suction noises up from the blond in the distance, floating as he let the fog take over. 

He quickened the pace, up down, up down, and his hands stuttered as he felt the blond’s fingers massage more firmly below his balls. God, that felt _good._

He didn’t care that he was moaning with every downward push, his mind floating as he felt himself get closer and closer to flying apart. He panted, opening his eyes to gaze into dark blue eyes, staring right back at him. The man’s free tanned hand rose up to twist Sasuke’s hands off, continuing the fast bobbing motions. 

Sasuke growled in disappointment before the blond’s free hand wrapped tightly around both his wrists. Sasuke struggled briefly before the blond stopped moving. Sasuke glared and relaxed. The blond hummed his pleasure, continuing his sucking and bobbing. He pushed Sasuke’s hands down into his stomach, pinning them. Sasuke squirmed, his finish getting closer and closer. God, he needed to cum so bad. The blond increased his pace and suction, causing Sasuke to curl up, abs standing out in relief as he felt his balls tighten up.

The blond stopped his up and down bobbing, his mouth covering Sasuke’s erection, and simply rubbed his fingers into that spot below Sasuke’s balls and Sasuke flew apart. He moaned, eyes screwed shut as he felt each spasm, the orgasm causing his legs to shake and twitch. Sasuke flinched as the blond swallowed around him, and twitched as the blond pulled back, hand releasing his wrists, mouth sucking lightly as he pulled back. He fell back in the chair, feeling all his muscles in his body release, boneless. He felt hands rubbing his bare things, before they pulled his slacks up and tucked him back in his briefs. Sasuke was trying to concentrate on catching his breaths.

He felt the heat of the blond disappear but couldn’t be bothered to lift his head up and look.

His breathing finally evened out. God, did he need that! He almost hummed as he felt himself sink further into the chair. Silence descended over the room, and as he heard the door open and close quietly, he frowned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so Sasuke enjoyed his time with Naruto. What did you think? Any idea as to where this is headed? Did you enjoy the chapter? I know I enjoyed writing it lol


	5. Dirty Work

“I did as you asked.”

He realized that he sounded hollow, more so than usual. He didn’t think he could stoop lower, but with what was at stake, the sacrifice would ensure the desired outcome. 

The longhaired man behind the desk glanced up from his papers to look at him. The smile on that face made him want to spit rage.

“My my, how _resourceful_.” Orochimaru couldn’t contain his amusement, and Naruto could hear Kabuto snicker.

Naruto turned to his general direction, where he was situated in shadows. “Shut the fuck up Four Eyes, or I’ll do it for you.”

There wasn’t another noise from Kabuto.

“Now, with that task completed, I have another.”

Naruto sharply turned to observe the pale man behind the desk through narrowed eyes, the older man idly flicking through papers.

“Orochimaru, this was the last task – you said that after this last job, that it was done.” He clenched his fists as he tried to rein in his emotions, his eyes flashing.

Orochimaru looked up.

“No, you haven’t done as I’ve asked. I distinctly remember saying to you to _fuck_ Sasuke Uchiha. He was hardly consenting to your _poor_ act of seduction.”

Naruto bristled. “And so I had to improvise and do something else. He wasn’t exactly begging for me to stick my dick up his ass, let alone a fucking blow job!”.

Naruto had started to take calculated steps towards Orochimaru’s desk. The older man simply leaned back in his chair, his full attention on the blond.

“How am I meant to paint Sasuke in a bad light, hmm? I highly doubt that sending through a copy to his Captain will cause the desired effect.”

Naruto put his hands down flat on Orochimaru’s desk, leaning forward, teeth clenched. Orochimaru leant back in his chair even further.

Naruto hissed, “ _I will not play your stupid fucking games, Orochimaru,”_ and Naruto continued to hold his position, leaning on Orochimaru’s desk, even though he heard a gun cock, and felt the muzzle against the side of his head.

He continued to hiss, “ _I have gone above and beyond what was originally agreed upon, between you and my employer; I was meant to provide protection against rival gangs, kill when necessary… **fucking** wasn’t included in the fucking contract._”

Naruto was visibly shaking now, pure rage coursing through his veins. He had needed to do this, but this was too far-gone now. He needed to get out. 

There wasn’t a lot of other intel that he managed to get – the very reason that he had stuck around Orochimaru for so long, had stooped so low, dirtied his hands meddling in gangster bullshit, was so that he could get information, or if the gods actually smiled down on him, use Orochimaru as bait. 

Although, Orochimaru proved abso-fucking-lutely useless to the point that his main target wasn’t interested in him in the slightest anymore.

Orochimaru was a big fish in a little pond. Naruto was after the shark of the ocean.

And he had wasted so much _fucking_ time with this fuckwit.

Orochimaru seemed small and vulnerable. Naruto desperately wanted to reach his hands out and squeeze the man’s throat, till his face went blue and the capillaries in his eyes burst.

He breathed in calmly, waiting for the older man’s response.

Orochimaru’s voice was quiet, his head tilted up ever so slightly, arrogant and proud, eyes tight around the edges, an irritating smirk in place.

“You would do well… to remember who I am, _Uzumaki_.”

Orochimaru’s glare was full force, and Naruto held it unwaveringly.

A pathetic, weak little man, shaking in his boots.,,

“Where is my money?”

Orochimaru’s gaze narrowed, before he lifted a briefcase from behind the desk, placing it not so gently on top.

The silence that descended over the room was deafening. Naruto could hear Kabuto adjusting his hands on the gun every now and again, no doubt sweating. 

A satisfied smile crept across his face. “I have everything that I need – the contract is over. _Don’t_ fucking try it, Orochimaru.”

As he moved back, the gun following, he shot his hand up, grabbing Kabuto’s wrist before he could get a shot off, and twisted. He felt himself sigh in delight at Kabuto’s squeal, as the man was forced to twist his body to ensure his wrist wasn’t broken. Naruto transferred Kabuto’s wrist to his other hand calmly, his other hand reaching over to Kabuto who flinched and was spluttering curse words, insults and slurs at the blond. Naruto maintained his gaze with Orochimaru, the older man unmoving in his chair. Kabuto’s noise filled the room.

Naruto threaded his hands through Kabuto’s hair, with the snap of his wrist, brought Kabuto’s head to smack on Orochimaru’s desk and clip the briefcase. Naruto watched as Orochimaru flinched at the noise.

Naruto calmly twisted the gun out of Kabuto’s hand, the man yelping in pain. The blond brought the gun slowly to Kabuto’s head, the man instantly stilling his struggles, his other hand shaking violently on the desk next to his head.

Naruto waited, taking great satisfaction in pushing the gun muzzle _hard_ into Kabuto’s temple, in how the coward of a man whimpered in pain.

He grinned at the noise, and watched as Orochimaru swallowed thickly.

“If you _ever_ come near me, track me down, move to harm me, you _know_ what will come.” Naruto’s voice was subdued, and Orochimaru held his gaze, then it flickered to Kabuto and back to Naruto. Naruto smirked. He slowly moved the gun away and let go of Kabuto’s wrist and hair, and watched as the man crumpled. He slowly grabbed the briefcase.

He continued to step back until he was by the door, dropped the gun with a clank and slipped through. He didn’t stay to hear Orochimaru rearrange his office.

* * *

 

Sasuke tapped his pencil against the desk, his head resting in his other hand. The office was warm, the AC hardly operating.

He sighed, looking over the numerous crime scene photos, hoping that something would pop out.

He had made progress with finding Orochimaru’s informant – obviously Mizuki was implicated and would need to be dealt with when enough evidence was collected on his involvement. His motives seemed pretty clear – to get power and favor with Orochimaru. He had investigated a lot of his colleagues and had about a quarter left to dwindle down to the remaining informant. Not that any of his coworkers knew that they were being investigated; only Kakashi, the police commissioner and Sasuke knew.

What he wasn’t making any progress with was all the cold case murder files. He was really hoping that something would pop out to show a pattern.

The only thing tying them together was that most of the individuals killed were prominent members within the local gangs. There wasn’t a gang untouched – from the Russians, Inuzukas, Aburames, Akimichis and Yamanakas. The Triads were notably out of the equation, where as Orochimaru wasn’t. Orochimaru had suffered some recent losses – the tell tale curse mark tattoo giving away his gang members, although in some cases the tattoos were cut out of the victim’s skin. Possibly a message?

The Yakuza were notably absent too, which meant Sasuke couldn’t quite pinpoint the source of the attacks. Either the Triads or the Yakuzas.

All in all, it must have involved Orochimaru to some degree – but yet, Orochimaru was on the loosing side. 

Feeling eyes on him, he looked up to Kakashi staring at him whilst walking out with his brief case. As soon as Kakashi was out of the door, Sasuke looked down at his buzzing phone. 

_Meet at our usual spot now._

* * *

 Sasuke walked through the warehouse, shivering as he walked through the shadows, the temperature dropping.

He looked ahead to see Kakashi already swinging his golf club. He walked closer before sitting down on a fragment of the roof strewn on the warehouse floor.

He watched tiredly as Kakashi hit golf ball after golf ball. He didn’t move to stop him either; he was tired and it felt great to zone out.

“Any news?”

The tentative question made him look at Kakashi. He frowned at the older man.

“Such as?”

The older man shrugged before a resounding _ting_ echoed through the dilapidated warehouse.

 “You have been awfully quiet over the last couple of weeks.”

Of course he had been, he had been flat out. It was a week until the shipment was meant to arrive and he was close to the final informant, but not close enough. He sighed in frustration, before kicking a rock from underneath his foot, dropping his head in his hands.

He needed to find this informant so that they could turn him against Orochimaru, to help with securing the shipment and get him to spill where he got his information. Likewise, they needed to clean out the department and were willing to provide sanction for the last informant should he have dirt that would provide a swift testimony for Mizuki and evidence on Orochimaru. Lastly, he was on a short string with Orochimaru – the man had been exceptionally wary and paranoid. It didn’t help that anyone that they had tried to flip in the past, had landed up dead.

“We have a week, Kakashi. A week! 

The older man shrugged again.

“It’ll work out.”

Sasuke raised his head to look incredulously at the older man’s back. Of all the stupid things for the older man to say!

“Kakashi, I am on _seriously_ thin ice with Orochimaru. I have a quarter left of the department to go through – and we still need to put in a plan for the incoming shipment!”

Kakashi finally paused mid swing. “You don’t need to worry about a plan. It’s covered.”

Sasuke frowned at Kakashi’s cryptic words. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" 

Kakashi finally turned around to face him. “It means that you won’t be partaking in the operation. I am coordinating it with the FBI.”

Sasuke glared at the man, mouth agape.

“Are you seriously fucking taking me off the case?”

Kakashi glared back, still standing and looking down at Sasuke. Silence.

“Sasuke, you are involved. Too much so, and it will be too risky for you to be a part of the operation.”

Sasuke blanched, hands coming up before he stood, walking forward to the older man, poking a finger into his chest.

“I have worked my _ass off_ for this case, and you take me off at the last minute? What the fuck Kakashi?”

Kakashi looked down at him with narrowed eyes.

“Because you had sexual relations with a known prostitute, and most likely an assassin, who is linked to basically all gangs in existence.”

Sasuke snapped his mouth shut, the click audible. Kakashi took a step back and reached into his jacket, pulling out a messily folded wad of papers, shoving them against Sasuke’s chest.

“I will not have you jeopardize this case. It’s one thing to play the part Sasuke, it’s another thing entirely when it can be deemed it is no longer an act.” 

Sasuke held the papers, searching Kakashi’s eyes before he looked down, and unfolded the papers.

They were photos or more likely video screen clips probably; of Naruto leaning over him in that _fucking_ leather chair, of Naruto between his legs, of Sasuke absolutely in bliss. He felt himself pale, his mouth dry.

“They were on my desk this afternoon after lunch… Sasuke, this can’t go on. The lines are blurred and for your sake, the department and the validity of the case, I am pulling you off of it." 

Sasuke clenched the photos between his fingers. He didn’t know if he felt more hurt by the actions of his Captain, or the blond in the photos. He knew that this was likely – Orochimaru had blackmail on most political figures. But he didn’t think he was at a point with Orochimaru that the man needed to get dirt on him. He thought Orochimaru trusted him. Why was Orochimaru doing this?

More importantly, he thought he could trust Naruto. Stupid notion, obviously.

“The fact that you are looking into him makes me extremely concerned.”

Sasuke looked up sharply at the man.

“You want to tell me why you are looking up his records? The records of a prostitute, allegedly an assassin, a ghost – when you are possibly putting the whole department in jeopardy, yourself at risk, and making us a nice target for Internal Affairs?”

Sasuke swallowed thickly, searching the older man’s eye again. Sasuke took in the disappointment and sighed. He found his voice.

“I have had relations with other people in that club, and it has _never_ made it back to you.”

Kakashi simply cocked his head to the side.

“That doesn’t matter, Sasuke. If anything, it should make you worried that,” Kakashi tapped his finger on the photos in Sasuke’s hands, “he is using a reputed and respected person within the gang community.” Kakashi’s finger hovered over Naruto in the photos.

“He told you to be creative, Sasuke. Do you even know what you are looking for? He is blackmailing you – at what point will you realize that you are too deep?”

Sasuke stopped and dropped his head, looking at the photos once more.

“He said that the shipment would contain women and children, that it would secure a trade agreement with the Triads.”

He raised his head to look at Kakashi, watching as the man took in the information.

“Orochimaru – no, the blond told you this?”

Sasuke nodded slowly.

Kakashi took a couple of steps back before turning away to look across the warehouse.

“Alright, the game’s changed, let’s go.”

Sasuke watched as Kakashi began to walk to the exit.

“What? _Where_?”

“Sasuke, _get_ into my car.” Sasuke tentatively followed, having never seen his lazy Captain so determined. 

Sasuke tried to not feel awkward as he looked ahead. Kakashi hadn’t said a word since they had gotten in the car.

* * *

 

They had been driving close to 20 minutes already and Sasuke was perplexed, but wasn’t brave enough to speak up, not with how pissed off Kakashi looked.

The car slowed and turned left into a car park. Sasuke looked around and up to the sign above the restaurant. Sasuke felt himself pale.

Before he could get a word out, Kakashi was griping at him to get out of the car. He followed sullenly; feeling more and more like a child with the way Kakashi was treating him. Hands in his pockets, he sighed as they made their way through the door and deeper into the restaurant. Booths adorned with tabletop grills filled the space, and Kakashi lead them to the farthest, deepest corner; the closest booth to the kitchen.

Sasuke warily approached, taking in the large man sitting in the booth. He was relatively old, had quite a few scars, red tattoos on his face and was burly, obviously very strong. But also a little overweight.

“Choza…”.

Sasuke just wanted to disappear into the wallpaper – he didn’t want to be making contact with a clan leader, let alone eye contact. In fact, he wanted to hightail it out of there. Orochimaru was one thing – the Akimichi clans were fiercely loyal and could be aggressive when it came down to it. They were _not_ a fan of Orochimaru.

The larger man looked up from his papers that he was reading, paused, blinked and then smiled. 

“Kakashi—what a surprise! Please, sit! Come, I’ll call Choji to get you some dishes.” The larger man waved his arms around, shifting over in the booth, and began to scoop his papers together.

“Thank you Choza, but we won’t be staying long.”

Choza paused, “So it’s business?”

“Unofficially, yes.”

Kakashi moved to sit down and Sasuke awkwardly stood there until Kakashi gave him a pointed look. Sasuke shifted his gaze to the clan leader and quickly scuttled to sit down. The clan leader maintained his scowl at him, and Sasuke shifted nervously.

“Kakashi, I _will_ ask however, why you feel the need to bring an Orochimaru whelp into my restaurant, given that you know where I stand with him – no disrespect intended.” The clan leader’s hands were now on the table, clenched.

“Yes I know, and you must forgive me, but Detective Uchiha Sasuke and I are desperately after some information on someone.”

Sasuke looked over at Kakashi. The man was deadly serious.

Choza sighed, looking at the table. “Another favour?”

“Yes, another favour.”

The clan leader blanched. “Kakashi, how many more favours until the debt is paid? Honestly, this is beginning to feel like extortion.”

Kakashi chuckled. “I think that this will warrant the last favour I will require, should you have information.”

Choza immediately narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, “That bad huh?”.

Kakashi simply nodded.

Choza waved his hand.

“I need to know about Uzumaki Naruto.”

Choza brought his hand down slowly to rest on the table. The clan leader blanched, “No Kakashi, I can’t do that.”

Sasuke frowned at the man. Was that fear? Or respect that he could see in the clan leader. The clan leader’s gaze was stuck to the table.

“You can’t… or won’t?”

“Both.”

Sasuke could see that Kakashi was extremely frustrated now. 

“Kakashi, if it was anything else, you know that I would. The boy is family. I won’t do it. Especially not in front of Orochimaru’s pet.”

Sasuke clenched his fists but paused as Kakashi _growled._

“Choza, he is a murderer, he has ties to Orochimaru and I need to find what he is doing for Orochimaru – there is a lot depending on this; a lot of lives." Kakashi held the clan leader’s gaze.

“Are you desperate?”

Kakashi didn’t hesitate, “Yes.”

Choza groaned before sitting back in the booth, looking forlornly at the table. Silence followed before the man leaned forward again, sighing a deep old sigh, resting his arms on the table.

“He is providing protection. No one will move while Naruto is looking over Orochimaru. No one has to, because Naruto will be the first one to do it.”

Kakashi huffed, sitting back in his chair. Sasuke gathered that the clan leader was being cryptic so as to not incriminate the blond.

“Then why would he hand over information regarding Orochimaru’s affairs?”

Choza raised his eyebrows. “He did?”

Kakashi nodded slowly.

Sasuke flinched as the clan leader barked out his laughter, his head tilting back in complete mirth. The man brought his hand down on the table a couple of times.

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, their eyes meeting. They waited for the man to stop. He eventually did, trying to breath out slowly without setting himself off again, wiping tears from his eyes.

The man spoke with a big grin, “He honestly is a little shit. Causes trouble wherever he goes. Good luck to you.”

Kakashi frowned, “Why the well wishing?”

Choza shrugged, “Because if he is sharing information, deliberately feeding it to you, it means that you have no chance of finding the information you are looking for. Let alone learning anything about him.”

Sasuke found himself talking before he could stop himself, “What do you mean by that?”

The clan leader turned his gaze to Sasuke sharply.

“That he knows you need help. So he might be going about the whole thing legally, but I doubt that. Whatever he is doing, he is in deep – I haven’t seen him for several months, so he must be busy. The gods know that when he spreads information to the police, he is looking to burn some bridges. He has a lot of loyal friends – many friends who owe him and won’t bat an eye to quiet those who ask of him.”

Sasuke frowned; he didn’t miss the pointed look from Choza after his declaration.

The man paused, staring intently at Sasuke before he began to speak slowly, “You would do well to stay away from him. He doesn’t like the law, and won’t take kindly to me speaking to you today either.”

Kakashi sighed. “If I knew that we were going to receive riddles, I wouldn’t have wasted your time, Choza.”

Choza merely chuckled. “With the news you have brought me, you have made my month.” Kakashi shook his head in dismay.

Choza sighed, “Just know that he is bad news.”

Kakashi nodded, tilting his head to Choza, who nodded as well. Kakashi scooted over, pushing Sasuke, and Sasuke hightailed it to the door – he could hear Kakashi call over his shoulder, “that doesn’t count as a favour!”.

The clan leader’s disgruntled muttered _yeah yeah_ could just be heard.

* * *

 

Sasuke glanced over at Kakashi again. They were still driving.

“Kakashi, what are we doing?”

“Driving.” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “Yes, but where?”

Kakashi didn’t reply for a while.

“We have 5 days left; I have organized a squad and Ebisu has pitched in to assist. We should have everything covered. The port officials will confirm when the shipment is meant to arrive. All points seem covered and yet I still don’t feel like we know all there is to know.”

Sasuke watched as the older man sighed.

“I need to talk to this Naruto.”

Sasuke made to interrupt but Kakashi spoke over him, “He has direct access to this information – meaning that Orochimaru trusts him or that this gun for hire is terrifying enough that Orochimaru won’t move against him, knowledgeable to the point that this gun for hire must be rifling through Orochimaru’s affairs. To share the information with you is bizarre, not only because you are a dirty cop, but because that information is game changing and valuable – extremely dangerous in the right hands. 

Sasuke ignored the quip at his reputation. He looked down at his hands, wondering the same thing.

“Do you think he thought I could do something about it? About the shipment?”

Kakashi frowned. 

“No, because he must know of your position, because Orochimaru used him to get to you. Not that it was difficult obviously, because you seemed to have enjoyed it thoroughly- -“, Sasuke went to make a rebuttal, “ but it almost is like a loaded gun has been handed to you – you could’ve used that information to gain favour with the department or even our higher-ups. You could even use it against Naruto to gain favour with Orochimaru.” 

Sasuke frowned and looked at the older man. Silence reined over them.

“I think he is the whistle blower.” Kakashi’s gaze was cold.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Sasuke paused, “So you think he sent you the email?”

“Well, I won’t know for sure until I talk to him.”

Sasuke sighed. That meant that there was still the informant in the department – but did this mean that this informant didn’t leak Orochimaru’s information, and it was only Naruto who had? He wouldn’t know until he spoke to the unknown informant.

“If he is the informant, Orochimaru must have no idea, otherwise Naruto would be dead." 

Kakashi nodded.

“Hence why that information that he handed you is so pertinent. Why risk it?”

Sasuke nodded slowly.

“According to his case file he has many gang-related associates,” Sasuke looked to Kakashi, gauging his reaction, “which I may be able to use.”

Naruto’s case file only included misdemeanors and petty crime – nothing serious enough for him to be convicted. However he had been under surveillance years ago, along with his associates due to a string of bank heists.

Kakashi glanced at him and then nodded.

“Sasuke, you are on an extremely slippery slope. For now, do what you need to do. I’m going to see what I can find through _legal_ channels. But stay away from Orochimaru.”

Sasuke glared at the older man.

“Sure Kakashi, I didn’t know you cared.”

Kakashi scowled, hands gripping the wheel tighter. 

“I don’t; it would be a waste of police resources.”

_Asshole._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, things are continuing to pick up! Mystery abound - what did you think? Are you enjoying it? From this point onwards, I'll update once a week - at this point, I'll aim for Wednesdays :)


	6. Run

Kakashi dropped him back by his car at the warehouse and drove off unceremoniously. Sasuke sighed before getting into his car, sitting with his head against the steering wheel.

He needed to find Naruto and pick his brain. Naruto would most likely know who the other informant in the department is and likewise, he needed to find out how deeply involved Naruto was, both to build a case against Orochimaru and possibly bring Naruto in as a witness – he would be able to get immunity should he testify against Orochimaru.

His interest in Naruto was purely professional – yes, professional.

It wasn’t like he had been having cold showers almost everyday after that _incident_ …

All right, he had to, because jerking off was getting to the point of being a hindrance. He groaned – it was _just_ a blowjob, nothing else. The blond was doing his job and as _nice_ as it was, it was _just_ a blowjob. _Just_ a blowjob. But no matter how much Sasuke had tried to reason with himself over the last couple of days, he was beyond interested in the blond. Not _infatuated_ , Uchihas don’t get infatuated, but interested.

The man was attractive, but he was also a prostitute. Those blue eyes, strong hands, shoulders, abs— Sasuke whacked his head against the steering wheel again to stop his thoughts. He was fucking hopeless.

He needed to get to the blond and as he felt realization hit him, he smirked.

A bit of bribery wouldn’t hurt.

 

* * *

 

He drove across town, a bit irritated that it was quite late – but then again, Kiba worked late nights.

It being Friday, there wasn’t much traffic. He pulled into the police compound and drove around the complex. He parked and squared his shoulders before walking into the building. The place had an overpowering smell of _dog_ , and he grimaced. He was not a fan of creatures with more than 2 legs – in some cases he wasn’t even a fan of two legged creatures. Case and point, one Inuzuka Kiba. 

The man was lounging behind the desk, flicking through what looked like reports. The chorus of barks and growls came out from the door behind Kiba, and despite the noise, Kiba seemed completely at home. _Figures_.

He walked to the counter and Kiba noticed the looming presence, taking his feet off the desk and sitting up right, scooting around in the office chair. 

“Uchiha? It’s,” Kiba paused, looking down at his watch, “it’s really late! What the hell are you doing here?”

Sasuke grimaced.

“Just came to catch up.” Not the best way to approach this but shit. 

Kiba’s eyes widened comically. “And whyyyyy are you here?” Kiba’s gaze then narrowed.

Sasuke sighed. “I need some help.”

Kiba folded his arms. 

“Look, you know, that I know Neji, right? We are close acquaintances.”

Kiba maintained his scowl and folded arms. 

“I need to see Naruto – I need to discuss with him an important _personal_ matter. However, checking his records, his last address hasn’t been updated for over 6 months, and his previous place of residence is unoccupied.” As much as his files had the necessary information on record, it was frustrating how much was incorrect or out dated. Naruto had few brushes with the law and stayed well under the radar. Tricky, considering his standing with some of the most dangerous clans and gangs. 

Kiba wrinkled his nose.

“Look, help me out and I’ll put in a good word with Neji so that he’ll get off your back about Hinata.” 

Kiba seemed to contemplate this.

“But Naruto doesn’t like visitors, and I’m sure as _hell_ , he doesn’t want to speak to a uniform.”

Sasuke clenched his teeth. “Well it goes both ways, doesn’t it? Neji doesn’t know about your little _incident_ downtown—“

Kiba’s glare was pretty pathetic, “You wouldn’t dare!”

Sasuke smirked and tilted his head, challenging.

“Alright! Sheesh! I’ll see what I can do.” Kiba deflated into his chair.

Sasuke almost grinned. The Hyuugas still held underground roots and connections, but were mostly legal – Neji and his uncle often representing and defending prominent officials and clan leaders in relation to gang crimes. In most cases it was drug possession, drug trafficking, theft or the like – very rarely did it boil down to murder or child trafficking. The clans didn’t really need to get their hands dirty anymore. There had been a massive shift in how they operated, as about a year and a half ago. Hinata had also graduated with top honors and worked at the Hyuuga legal firm – hence, she was totally out of Kiba’s league, and Neji never failed to make it known.

“Good, any ideas?" 

Kiba sighed, scratching the back of his head.

“I-I’m meant to be heading to his shortly for drinks.”

Sasuke internally fist pumped. 

“Now?”

Kiba sighed. “Let me lock up, I’ll meet you in the carpark out front.”

Sasuke nodded and turned heel, feeling like his luck was turning around.

 

* * *

 

He followed Kiba’s car into the nicer parts of town, and looked up at the high-rise buildings. He raised his eyebrows when Kiba turned left into an underground car park. They descended down the ramp, parking in the bays. Ahead was a motorized gate.

Sasuke got out of his car, and looked towards Kiba, who looked nervous. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the man, before Kiba tilted his head to the gate. Sasuke followed.

Kiba stepped over to the right, and buzzed the intercom – no. 25, the lowest button on the panel. It was a while, but a shrill voice came over the intercom, “Kiba!”.

Sasuke cringed at the pitch. The intercom died out and the gate began to slide to the left.

Sasuke took in the heavy wrought iron gate, and the security cameras that were strategically placed throughout the car park. It was like a secure den, and to the left of the gate, past the end of the wall was also heavy metal roller shutters, possibly leading to a more secure section of the carpark. 

“Come on.”

Sasuke turned to follow Kiba and paused as the gate automatically rolled shut behind them. Alright, that was a little fancy. 

Kiba lead the way up the flight of stairs and to a foyer with several elevators. Sasuke followed absently, eyes taking in the nice marble and extravagant fixtures. He hadn’t been in a place like this for some time – he didn’t care much for grandness anymore; it didn’t serve his parents well.

The elevator chimed, Kiba stepped in and Sasuke followed. It was awkward silence that followed, but as Sasuke looked to the control panel, he realized that they were going to the top of the building. The building had to be at least 40 floors high. On the panel there was only numbers up to 25. 

“Kiba, what is this building?”

The shaggy man shrugged, “Residential apartments – although they are custom designed and so a lot of the apartments have a couple of floors internally, that make up the whole building. It’s a pretty nice building, the rooms are amazing.”

Sasuke frowned – this was serious money right here.

They reached the top floor, Kiba fiddled with the control panel and the doors opened into a lobby area. As Kiba walked forward and Sasuke followed, Sasuke realized that this wasn’t a lobby area, but a hallway. The marble floor was lovely and the low lighting was aesthetically pleasing. They continued down the hallway, and followed where the sounds of voices were coming from. The hallway opened up into an open space, leading to a sunken lounge, TV and fireplace. Behind there was an open kitchen, a dining table. Beside the kitchen there was a staircase up to an upper walkway around the outskirts of the room, leading to more doors. Below the staircase there was another hallway. All up, Sasuke couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping – it was beautiful. Between the seamless marble flooring, wooden kitchen bench and work area, the massive balcony and the city lights beyond, the ceiling was so high it easily looked like the second floor had been knocked out. The low lighting was tasteful and dreamy; Sasuke could feel himself immediately relax. 

However his attention was brought back to the sunken lounge area, the centre low table covered in bottles and glasses. The loud laughter and chatter seemed to ebb and flow and Sasuke soon realized that Kiba had left him to stand by the entrance to the hallway, as he was now fixing himself a drink in the kitchen. Sasuke made his way over to the kitchen and Kiba glanced up at him, somber. 

“Kiba, don’t look so unhappy – think of how smooth things will go with Hinata.” 

Kiba sighed, “That’s if I live to see her again.”

Sasuke frowned. A loud laugh sounded and Sasuke heard steps pad towards him. In the low light he could just make out Naruto’s face as he approached, a black haired male following closely behind. 

“Kiba! How are the—“

Naruto’s gaze hit his face like a sledgehammer. Sasuke immediately felt his hackles rise.

The blond looked livid. The black haired male seemed to take notice as well as he moved ever so slightly to Naruto’s right, just out of reach.

Naruto’s gaze snapped back to Kiba.

“Kiba… what the _fuck_ is this?” Not quite a shout, but just as deadly.

Sasuke glanced at Kiba who was looking down as he poured himself another drink. He had already taken the first 2 shots. Sasuke wished that he had had one now too. 

Silence followed, yet the chatter from the sunken lounge area continued, oblivious.

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto again, taking in his expression. He frowned, why did Naruto have marks on his cheeks? Three identical on each side?

Sasuke automatically took a step back as Naruto took steps towards Kiba until he was at arms length away from the man. Sasuke almost felt sorry for the male, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

It was at this point, that Naruto put the glass that he was carrying down with a _clunck_ on to the wooden kitchen bench and Kiba flinched at the sound. He took the vodka bottle that he had in hand and poured some into Naruto’s glass.

Sasuke kinda hoped that Kiba would say something but he didn’t, he just kept his gaze downcast and seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible. 

“Naruto, come on, it’s a Friday, everyone is having a good time—“

“Shut the fuck up, Sai.”

Sasuke glanced over at the dark haired man and met his gaze – the man looked perturbed but not surprised or deterred.

Kiba seemed to have found his voice.

“Look, if I had known you would be this pissed, I wouldn’t have—“

The bang that followed as Naruto hit his hand down on to the kitchen bench caused silence to fall over the whole area, the chatter laughter gone.

“You have no fucking idea. You don’t fucking understand. You know I don’t like uniforms, and you bring one into my home? What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?” 

Sasuke swallowed thickly; maybe this was a bad idea after all.

Silence continued, and he cast a quick glance at the man called Sai and then looked at Naruto.

What ever he had seen at _Sound_ was gone. This was not the same Naruto he had seen at the venue. The Naruto at the venue was somewhat subservient, idiotic and foul-mouthed, even could be described as juvenile.

This Naruto was terrifying. As he seemed to be almost vibrating with rage, Sasuke could see his muscles twitch and flex and in the low lighting he took another closer look at the marks on the blond’s face – scars? And why the hell did this guy never wear a shirt. 

“I’m sorry, Naruto—“

“You better fucking be. _Months_ , Kiba. _Months_. I will not have that fucked up by your fucking stupidity. I don’t care about the reason why you brought him here, because there isn’t a fucking excuse possible in the whole entire fucking world that would make it okay to put everyone who is here, our friends, our family, at risk.”

Kiba seemed to deflate and nodded his understanding.

“I didn’t have any idea that this was so bad—“

“Of course you fucking didn’t – you didn’t even check with me!”

Kiba nodded again.

“Naruto, I really am sorry.”

Naruto leaned in closer to Kiba.

“Not yet, you aren’t. You fucking keep him here until I am back. I’m going to have to clean up your fucking _mess_. Jesus Kiba, come on man!" 

Naruto took his forgotten drink and downed it. He put the glass back down before rubbing his hands in his hair, frustrated. 

The blond took a couple of steps back and Kiba visibly relaxed. The blond turned to face Sasuke.

“And you—welcome _Uchiha,_ to my home. You _will_ stay here until I get back. You have an _extended_ invitation.”

Sasuke glared, “And if I need to leave?” 

Naruto’s eyes flashed. “I suggest you don’t.”

Sasuke shrugged, “I’m here on invitation.”

“You aren’t anymore – you stay here until I get back. _Don’t_ test me.”

Sasuke glared as Naruto stepped into his space, looking down at him. He felt Naruto’s breath puff over his face at his next words, “You wanted to find me? Well, here I am. You shouldn’t have come here.”

Sasuke maintained his glare, feeling anger course through him. Who the fuck did this blond think he was? He felt himself feel weightless as soon as Naruto was out of his personal space, the adrenaline rush hitting full force as the blond stalked away to the stairs, climbing up them 3 steps at a time.

He turned to see Sakura and a red head approach. The chatter from the sunken lounge area tentatively started up again.

“What the hell just happened?” Sakura directed at Sai, who merely looked blankly back at her. 

Sasuke took in the worried expression on Sakura’s face and frowned.

She turned to face him, giving him a small smile, not completely masking the concern in her eyes, “Sasuke… good to see you. Uh, so um, how do you know Kiba?” 

“We’ve worked on a couple of cases together.”

Sakura nodded slowly, snapping to attention before she grumbled, “Sai, don’t be so rude! You introduce yourself and other people when meeting.”

The black haired male was coolly assessing Sasuke as he replied, “I really don’t care, Sakura.”

She sighed exasperatedly, before motioning to Sai. “Sasuke, Sai – Sai, Sasuke." 

She then stuck a thumb behind her at the red head that was practically trying to glare a hole through Sasuke’s head. His cool blue eyes were unsettling.

“This is Gaara.”

Gaara’s glare was transformed into a look of concern as his attention was snagged as he glanced up at Naruto who was bounding down the stairs two steps at a time, pulling a hoodie over his head. No shoes.

The blond walked past the red head, and the red head followed him anxiously.

“Naruto…”, but the blond kept walking, muttering quietly to the red head as he went. 

Sasuke couldn’t follow the conversation further as they walked towards the doorway of the hallway and disappeared through it.

He tried to tune back into what Sakura was talking about and mentally sighed. Great, he was stuck here.

Kiba came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“You fucking owe me big time. Now, come on, sit down.” Sasuke looked down at the hand on his shoulder and glared at Kiba.

“Now, Uchiha.” Sasuke glanced over at Sai who maintained a blank look, but his voice was short and deadly.

He felt Kiba’s hand press him forward and he gave in. 

He was directed over to the sunken lounge and sat down, with Sai to his left and Kiba to his right. Kiba shoved a glass of whisky into his hands, and Sasuke sighed.

It wasn’t like he had a choice.

He watched as Gaara came back, eyes shut off and emotionless, sitting across from Sasuke, Sai and Kiba, crossing his legs under him, pulling his hands into his sleeves. His gaze was glued to one of the flickering candles on the table.

 

* * *

 

Naruto tried to rein in his emotions, trying to take his frustration and anger out on the stairs, imagining putting his foot through them each step.

He walked along the walkway to his door, and walked in, quickly shutting it.

He walked over to his computer and monitors and woke the computer up. He scanned the monitors, checking the outside perimeter.

It was getting late; around 10pm so there shouldn’t be too many parked cars along the street. He scanned, cycling through the feeds.

He paused over a car, and could just make out to two outlines in it. The streetlight just highlighted the outside edge of the car but he couldn’t see the number plate. He tapped the keys and changed the cameras to night vision. Still couldn’t make out the number plate but it was certain that the car shouldn’t be there, with two people inside.

_There you are._ He whirled around, grabbing his hoodie off the bed.

He stalked out of the room, closing his door before bounding down the steps.

As he came to the bottom floor, he glanced at Gaara and took in the concern in the pale blue eyes. He almost wanted to groan out _not now_ because he was beyond frustrated. He didn’t want work to be mixed. 

He also didn’t need Gaara’s concern.

“Naruto…”

“Gaara, I’ll be back in a couple of hours at most.”

Naruto became increasingly irritated as Gaara followed him down the hallway.

“Naruto, what’s going on? You haven’t been this angry in a while." 

Naruto clenched his teeth and mentally counted to ten.

“Gaara, it’s a bit of a mess, but I’ll explain further later.” 

“Is he the one that Orochimaru blackmailed?”

Naruto sighed, pressing the elevator button, waiting for it to come up. He turned slowly. “Yes, he is the one.” 

Gaara took in the crestfallen expression and let the subject drop.

“Will you tell me about this later?” Naruto nodded numbly.

He wouldn’t.

The elevator door opened and Naruto stepped in, pressing the button for the garage. 

He glanced at Gaara who was watching him expressionlessly, his arms folded, but his shoulders were hunched and Naruto could see the sadness there. 

He stated quietly, “I’ll be back soon.”

Gaara nodded woodenly as he watched the elevator doors close.

 

* * *

 

Naruto exited the foyer, jogging to the gate and shifted from foot to foot while it opened automatically. He slipped through before jogging to the ramp, and then up it. He slowed towards the top, falling into a leisurely stroll. He walked to the left, where he knew the car was positioned. He padded along, ignoring the cold ground underfoot.

He kept his gaze forward, and adjusted his sleeves for show, before reaching up and putting his hoodie over his hair. He kept walking, picking up the pace, passing the car on his right, situated across the street.

It wasn’t another 30 seconds before he heard the car switch on and begin to drive, no lights on.

Naruto began to jog, and the car accelerated. And then Naruto began to run. The car’s headlights flashed on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's been much longer than a couple of weeks - I did say that I was going to post bi-weekly but such is life; work has been hell. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it~


	7. Execution

He was close to the train tracks – the city trains only ran every 15 minutes at this time of night.

He had cut through some alleyways and his feet were starting to feel a little raw. It had been about 10 minutes and he slowed, going under the underpass. The car followed, but slowed around the corner.

Naruto stood in the light cast by the car. The car inched forward before stopping. Naruto squinted, trying to maintain his night vision. The car didn’t move any further and there was no sign that anyone was getting out of the car. He sighed before approaching the driver’s side.

The window wound down and he tried to relax his body. It would be pretty easy for someone to pull a gun on him but a bullet wouldn’t stop him. They would be hard pressed to get a head shot. 

He couldn’t make out the face of the man behind the wheel but he could see the mark on the man’s forearm. He frowned.

“How can I help you two on this _wonderful_ evening?” He bent forward, looking to the passenger. He couldn’t see any guns in hand. So they weren’t being hostile.

“We are just keeping an eye on things…”

Naruto hmm’d. “And why would you be doing that since I no longer work for Orochimaru?”

The man bristled.

“We are keeping tags on Uchiha.”

“Ah, I see.” So he was right. Naruto looked away and around. The area was deserted enough.

“So you see, we are just doing our jobs.”

Naruto nodded slowly. “Yes I can see that, but there is a bit of a problem.”

Naruto could see the man behind the wheel fidget.

“We have orders from Orochimaru—“

“Yes, but they are not my orders – and frankly, I gave him an ultimatum last time we spoke. Along the lines of don’t follow me, yadda yadda. It’s a pity that you were at my residence.”

The driver paled. His partner piped up, “Look, just stay out of the way and let us do what we need to do.”

Naruto looked away, checking the surroundings again and chuckled.

 _That’s it._  

He snapped forward, reaching in and wrapped his arm around the driver’s neck, and undid the man’s seatbelt with the other hand. The man protested, and his partner pulled out his gun. Naruto continued, hauling the man out through the car window, paying no attention to the other man in the car.

 

The man hit the ground hard and wheezed, winded. Naruto laid into him without hesitation, methodically punching his face lightly before standing up, taking in a big breath before kicking the man in the ribs. Good thing that he didn’t wear shoes.

He faintly heard the man’s partner get out of the car and approach. He heard the cock of the gun but continued to place kicks. The man on the floor was hardly moving now, and he slowed. 

“Fucking stop!” The chicken shit from the passenger seat shouted, approaching close to Naruto’s right, hands shaking on the gun.

Naruto glanced at the man, and paused. He continued to watch the gun. 

“That gun isn’t going to stop me.” 

The man behind the gun visibly swallowed thickly, hands shaking. 

There was a gurgling sound and the man on the floor tried to speak, before spitting out blood, “P-put your weapon down…”

The man holding the gun looked from the man on the ground to Naruto and back, all consuming fear in his eyes. Naruto almost wanted to roll his eyes. It was always the _tough_ guys.

He sidestepped, closing the distance, grabbed the gun and yanked the man forward. The man mewled as his trigger finger was caught and Naruto proceeded to grab his arm, dipped his shoulder into the man’s chest and bent back, throwing the lightweight. The man hit the floor, the gun skittering along, before Naruto pulled back his fist and let it fly. He didn’t stop until he felt blood on his face. 

He stood up straight, leaning back, trying to ease his back muscles, taking deep breaths in. 

A whimper, “Please, stop.”

He looked across at the once again conscious driver, and paused. 

He took in one more big breath before walking over to him, kneelt down and leaned closer, looking into his eyes.

“You know what will follow now, right?” 

The man looked up at him as well as he could, through blood and the swelling on his face. He nodded slowly.

“This is a lot better than me dropping you back at Orochimaru’s.”

The man nodded again. Naruto patted him on the chest, standing up straight and looked for the stray gun. It was a couple of metres away.

He fetched it, carried it over, checking that it was loaded.

He looked down at the driver, who was staring up at the underside of the bridge blankly.

“It will be painless.” He reassured. 

The man nodded woodenly, before trying to take in a deep breath, wincing as he did.

“He gave us double pay. I should have known.”

Naruto kneeled by him. He shrugged. No time for after thought. He set his hand on the man’s shoulder. 

“Is this for a reason? Important?” 

Naruto paused at the man’s insightful question. He guessed he owed it to the man.

He nodded slowly, looking the man in the eye, “Yes, very much so.”

The man nodded back, a smirk coming onto his lips. “Figures, I should have such bad luck, _Kyuubi_.” 

He settled the gun against the man’s temple.

“You ready?”

The driver stuttered on his next breath in and was going to respond, but was cut short by the round entering his brain, the blood splashing up onto Naruto’s face. He took a big breath before he leant back off his knees, falling back to sit on his backside heavily. He dropped his head as he felt the guilt creep up.

The gurgling sound that he heard from his right interrupted his mourning, and he quickly got up, walking over to the passenger. He was struggling to breath, unconscious.

Naruto fired another shot. 

He dropped his head, the car engine humming in the background. The city was quiet.

 

* * *

 

 

He pushed his way through and simply had to glance at Juugo. He stepped aside pretty quickly.

He padded through, shaking his head at the cloakroom attendant. She wasn’t impressed. He walked down the hallway, as he had done many times. He didn’t think he would be back here so soon though.

He pushed the doors open and saw _Sound_ in full swing. He ignored the patrons, and headed for the door at the end of the hallway. 

He noticed Tayuya look at him with deep concern, stilling completely in her bar duties. He ignored her – he was here for one reason and one reason only. He did notice that at least her bruises where fading.

He watched himself walk, feeling cold and numb as he reached for the office door handle. He breathed in calmly, focusing on his heartbeat, settling into his skin; shoulders tense, jaw clenched. 

He pushed the door open and saw Orochimaru slowly glance up, and Kabuto in a chair to the left. He walked closer, locking his eyes with Orochimaru before veering left. He focused his attention on Kabuto. 

He restrained himself as he grabbed him by the hair, pulling him out of his chair, ignoring his cries. White noise washed over him, and all he could focus on was _violence._

He let his fists pepper the grey haired man, not caring for the cries and yells out of the man. He didn’t have to look up at Orochimaru to see that he was shocked, he could _feel_ it.

He continued until blood was flying and it was hitting him in the face. He stepped back, the only sound in the room was Kabuto’s labored breathing and the distant club music. Naruto’s heartbeat pulsed in his ears. 

He watched Kabuto writhe on the floor, trying to breathe as Naruto settled himself into one of Orochimaru’s office chairs.

God, was he tired. He raised his feet, resting them on Orochimaru’s desk, closed his eyes and leant his head back into the chair headrest.

Nothing interrupted for a while, until Orochimaru’s voice cut through the silence.

“I don’t know who you _think_ you are, but you clearly forget who I am.”

 Naruto tiredly opened his eyes, dragging his gaze to Orochimaru. The man was seething. 

He smiled a small smile, “Shut the fuck up, Orochimaru.”

The room fell silent again, apart from Kabuto’s spluttering, coughing and spitting of blood.

He could almost fall asleep, but he had business to do. As much as Kabuto’s sounds of pain were lulling him to sleep.

He opened his eyes, looking up at the ceiling, “I don’t appreciate you sending scouts to my location. Frankly, I am insulted that you took my threat so lightly.” 

He raised his head to level his glare at Orochimaru. The older man shifted in his seat.

“I have a right to keep an eye on my investment.”

Naruto clicked his tongue. “You are going to have to stop.”

Orochimaru tilted his head. “And why would I do that? I have paid a lot of mone—“

“I don’t care what you have done or hope to do – you stay away from me regardless.”

Orochimaru’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t take orders from you, _Kyuubi_.”

Naruto shrugged. 

“Either you listen, or we are going to have a problem. Like the problem your two men encountered.”

Orochimaru was seething. His fists tightly clenched.

“They are burnt out in your car, under an underpass. Every man you send after me or god forbid, anyone you send after someone close to me, will face the same outcome.”

Orochimaru slumped back in his chair. A smirk settling on his lips. 

The blond stared at him for a while before watching Kabuto on the floor. He felt fatigue hit his limbs, the adrenaline rush over. He looked down, his hoodie ruined. He sighed, turning to watch Kabuto roll around in agony, his whimpering having stopped.

Orochimaru’s voice cut through the silence. “You have one job left.”

Naruto sharply turned his gaze to Orochimaru.

“No. It’s over.” 

Orochimaru chuckled lowly. “Do you think because you are the gangs’ pet that you can come in here and tell me what is and what isn’t, without fear of punishment?”

The older man stood up. His steps were quiet and confident. He neared the back of Naruto’s chair. 

Naruto continued to watch Kabuto. He wasn’t anyone’s pet. He was doing his job, earning his pay and getting the information that he needed. If only Orochimaru knew…

“Until my relationship with the Triads is fortified, you are to protect me and serve as I see fit – those were your instructions. Unless you would like me to call your employer?”

Naruto frowned, as he felt Orochimaru’s hands settle on his shoulders before moving down his chest. He felt his stomach twist.

“Mmmm, and it would be a shame for you to be put in an _awkward_ position with them… My, they were only asking of Sasuke the other day.”

Naruto felt his stomach drop, his mouth dry.

Orochimaru’s hands began to wander but were caught by Naruto before they reached the band of his sweat pants. He squeezed his wrists, hearing Orochimaru simply chuckle in response.

He let one go, before standing up from the chair, moving around it, closer to Orochimaru. He noticed that Orochimaru had tentatively taken a step back, but Naruto simply pulled on his wrist. He stood close enough to Orochimaru that they were nose to nose. He focused on not head butting the man, or alternatively, breaking his wrist. He breathed calmly, simply narrowing his cool gaze. He could see the fear in Orochimaru’s gaze. His words were hushed, even though he felt rage course through him.

“I _suggest_ you leave Sasuke out of this.”

Orochimaru merely raised an eyebrow, questioning.

“It would be in your best interest.”

“And why would that be?”

Naruto merely smirked.

“Because I won’t kill you if you cut him loose.”

Orochimaru merely smirked, his eyes dropping to Naruto’s lips and back to his eyes. Naruto tried to not let his revulsion show. 

“Mmmm, no, I think I’ll keep a hold on him.”

Naruto tightened his grip on Orochimaru’s wrist. The older man tried to not show his discomfort.

“He is your last chip. Should anything happen,” and Naruto leant forward, his lips brushing against Orochimaru’s ear, “I’ll gut you and feed you to your snake.” 

As he hovered by Orochimaru’s ear, he saw a shiver go through the man and frowned. Was the man getting off on this? Holding Orochimaru’s wrist he took a step back, looking into his blown out eyes. Yep, he was.

How was it that he always got stuck with the weirdos?

He let go, taking a couple of steps back before looking down at Kabuto again – he wasn’t moving. He watched him, feeling satisfaction crawl through his skin.

Naruto finally broke the silence, “Can I have your word?”

He heard Orochimaru scoff. His voice dripping with anger, “ _No_.”

 

* * *

 

 

He made it back to the apartment building, dragging his feet. It was well past 12am.

He allowed his body to take control, choosing to daydream. He followed his feet. Before he realized, he was by the kitchen island and he could hear Gaara calling him.

Irritated, “What?”.

Gaara merely glared at him. 

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”.

Sasuke was still on the couch. Thank the Gods.

“No.”

He could see Gaara shift with agitation in the corner of his eye, but he focused on pouring his drink instead. He certainly needed one after the evening he just had.

“Naruto, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

Naruto merely grunted. “Kiba…”

Gaara looked like he was about to fucking lose it before he looked over his shoulder to where Kiba was sitting.

Naruto watched him squirm. “Dojo, now.” He almost grinned as he saw Kiba grimace. He watched him slowly get up before heading over to the hallway under the stairs, to the dojo. 

He gulped his drink down, closing his eyes as he felt it burn down. He opened them to glance at Gaara who was quietly seething.

“Gaara, don’t ask me again.” 

He brushed shoulders with Gaara as he walked past, the air tense.

 

* * *

 

 

Sasuke wasn’t pleased that he was basically being baby-sat. It was obvious how Kiba and Sai sat next to him. He had tried to engage in conversation as much as possible, indulging Sakura, Ino and whoever decided to bother him. The only ones that didn’t talk much were Sai and Gaara – Gaara looking like he wanted to throttle something.

He just focused on drinking. He wasn’t going to pass up expensive whiskey. 

As the night went on, he wondered where the hell Naruto was. He noticed people leaving. It was 11pm, then it was 12am and Naruto walked in just before 1am. 

He watched the blond and noticed he walked stiffly, eyes sunken. He looked tired. He took in the bloody knuckles and ruined brown stained hoodie. He felt his nerves fire, his palms sweaty. What the hell had the blond been doing? The way he was splattered with droplets, he knew it was blood. 

He noticed Gaara trying to get his attention, but Naruto was in a world of his own. He didn’t know the blond could look so disconnected and lost. He frowned.

He watched Kiba as Naruto called him to attention – the brown haired man looking like his death sentence had just been sealed, shear panic on his face. Sasuke could only feel himself bristle being in the awkward position of being talked _around_ , and not being actively engaged in conversation.

He watched as Kiba got up reluctantly before walking to the hallway under the stairs.

As Gaara followed, he got up too and walked after Naruto into the dark hallway.

 

* * *

 

He stumbled a bit, until he could see the light being cast from the room at the end of the hall.

He walked through the door and looked at the large padded area. The red mats on the floor contrasted against the white walls. 

He saw Naruto stripping off the bloody hoodie and the blond stopped  to adjust the band of his sweat pants, rolling them over once. Sasuke settled himself against the wall of the dojo, similar to how Gaara was positioned. Gaara was watching with complete disinterest. 

Meanwhile, Kiba was shitting himself.

“Look, Naruto, I’m really sorry.”

Naruto merely rubbed his knuckles alternatively in each hand. 

“He said that he would put in a good word for me with Neji.”

Naruto paused, raising his eyes to Kiba before tracking them slowly over to Sasuke. Sasuke bristled before shrugging.

Naruto held his gaze, before muttering, “Really!?”

Sasuke merely glared back at the blond, getting comfortable. He wasn’t averse to getting the information that he needed by any means. It was one of his better qualities – being resourceful and a step ahead.

“Kiba, I have a few pet peeves, but this is unreal.”

Sasuke merely watched as Kiba dropped his head before he tentatively shifted to a weak fighting stance.

“Naruto, I don’t want to do this.”

Naruto merely scoffed, “As if I wanted to go _do_ what I had to _do_ this evening!?”

Sasuke blinked at how fast Naruto moved, stepping into Kiba’s guard, dropping down to sweep a leg. Kiba hit the mats hard, the wind rushing out of him.

Naruto stepped back, pacing, agitated. Sasuke watched as the muscles under his skin rippled with the need to move.

“Get up, Kiba.”

Kiba looked sorry for himself as he stood up on shaky feet.

“Naruto, please…”

Naruto paused his pacing, glaring at the man.

“If you want to call the shots, fucking act like it! Come at me!”

Kiba paused, stock still as fear crawled through him. Sasuke almost wanted to cover his eyes as Kiba approached Naruto, punches weak and deflected easily, before a sharp kick to his chest sent him flying back.

“Get up Kiba!” 

Kiba got up, pushing himself on shaky arms.

“Posture up! Is this the best you can do?”

Sasuke could see Kiba’s shoulders square and Sasuke quirked an eyebrow as Kiba rushed Naruto, blocking the defensive moves by the blond. He landed a shot on the blond’s jaw before the blond retaliated. The sheer power that came from the blond as he drove his fist into Kiba’s stomach made Sasuke wince as Kiba crumpled to the floor, wheezing.

He watched as Naruto’s chest heaved before a smile came up on the blond’s face. He sat down cross-legged, watching the brown haired male roll on the floor wheezing.

“Breathe through your nose, idiot.”

Kiba simply glared at the blond, before trying to breathe.

Naruto watched him with a sated smile, at ease.

“T-that’s – the first time… I’ve managed to – land a punch.” 

Naruto grinned back at Kiba. “Yes, it is. You are getting better.”

Sasuke watched as Kiba grinned too, through the tears, before Naruto patted him on the back, forgiven. Kiba promptly rolled over and puked alcohol. Naruto continued to pat him on the back, reaching over to a nearby towel and chucking it at the brown haired male to wipe up the puke.

He noticed Gaara move in the corner of his eye. Silence fell, apart from Kiba’s attempts to return to normal breathing.

“I didn’t think you would take it easy on Kiba…”. Gaara’s quiet words cut through the silence like a knife. Sasuke watched as Naruto stiffly turned to look at Gaara.

Naruto’s glare was palpable. “I wasn’t taking it _easy_ , Gaara.”

Gaara merely shrugged – “Oh really? From your fighting, I thought you were.”

Naruto bristled. “Tread _carefully,_ Gaara.” The growl sent a shiver through Sasuke.

Gaara shoved away from the wall, before moving beside Kiba. Kiba got up with difficulty, muttering before he exited the room.

“What are you _doing_?” Gaara’s hissed address made Sasuke frown.

Naruto looked up at Gaara with solemn eyes. “I need to do this.”

Gaara rolled his shoulders. “ _Get up.”_

Naruto got up slowly, eyes never leaving Gaara’s. The tension was broken as soon as Naruto was on his feet – Gaara lunged at him, peppering with jabs, before hitting him with a right hook. Naruto struggled to block Gaara’s speed, moving back and around the room, Gaara following.

“Quit _running_ , Uzumaki.” Gaara’s voice was angry – Sasuke was genuinely interested as to how Gaara could be so angry, or why – he seemed like the typical loner type. Throughout the evening he was quiet and reserved. Right now, he was a bomb with a short fuse. 

“What the _fuck_ is your deal Gaara!?” Naruto continued to dodge, jumping over sweeping kicks, trying to be aware of where he was in the room so he wouldn’t be backed into a wall.

“You aren’t telling me, so I’ll _beat_ it out of you.”

Naruto merely dug his heels in, countering Gaara’s jabs, albeit with difficulty, before going on the offensive, Gaara just managing to dodge.

Sasuke watched slack jawed as Naruto grunted, saw an opening and dropped, plowing his shoulder into Gaara’s stomach before taking him to the floor with a resounding thud. To Gaara’s credit, only a whooshing sound of air escaped the red head before Gaara proceeded to bring his elbow down repeatedly into the blond’s back.

Naruto’s muffled voice could be heard, “You need to develop your strikes.”

Gaara merely increased the power behind his elbow, frustration evident on his face as Naruto worked to get past Gaara’s guard, the red head’s legs wrapped tightly around the blond’s hips. 

“And you need to develop your groundwork.” 

A second later, Gaara’s supporting arm was swept up by Naruto’s arm, and he laid Gaara out flat with his weight, his head caught in a head lock by Gaara. 

Sasuke watched – beginning to wonder if this was normal for the pair. He jumped as Sai’s voice cut through the tense silence, minus the grunting and swearing from the mat. 

“This is the foreplay.” Sai looked smug with himself, arms crossed as he leant against the wall.

Naruto paused, hand coming down to smack against the mat. “Sai, fucking take your homo-erotic wet dreams somewhere else!”

The distraction was all Gaara needed before he flipped them, raining down punches as Naruto desperately blocked. 

“You are so pig-headed, you don’t let anyone help you and you are going to fucking die one day because of it!”.

Sasuke noted that Gaara’s punches were beginning to get extremely vicious, each word punctuated with an even stronger hit.

Naruto grunted as his forearms started to take a toll from blocking. He seemed to have _had it_ as he managed to grab one of Gaara’s forearms, pulling hard, before capturing Gaara’s other wrist. He easily rolled Gaara.

On top of Gaara, Naruto didn’t hesitate – he started to pelt Gaara with punches, not pulling them in the slightest. Sasuke watched as Gaara winced as he struggled to block the brute force behind Naruto’s punches.

Naruto didn’t seem to have an off switch as he proceeded to grab Gaara by the front of his shirt, using his hips as leverage to then _lift_ the red head off the ground and slam him down into the ground _repeatedly_.

Sasuke was starting to feel unease – that maybe he should intervene. _Maybe_. 

It quickly became apparent that this was not fighting for fun, but more so to maim each other as Gaara came up and slapped Naruto on the side of his head, over his ear. Naruto grunted, stalled a second, buying Gaara enough time to get his foot into one of Naruto’s hips and push away. Gaara stood up quickly, placing strong kicks to Naruto’s ribs, as Naruto struggled to stand, his equilibrium affected by the hit to the ear.

Sasuke heard Sai sigh next to him. He was shocked to see Sai move to stand between them. He crossed his arms and stood with his back to Naruto, watching Gaara closely. 

Gaara was seething, his blue eyes angry.

“Oh and look! Your guard dog has come to your aid!”

Naruto was still on hands and knees, looking like he was close to puking.

“I am _not_ a dog.” Sai sounded upset.

Gaara looked at Sai like he’d grown a second head. “Jesus, you are an idiot.”

Naruto was glaring at Gaara now. “Sai, step aside.”

Sai shook his head.

And then Naruto was up on to his feet in a flash, pushing Sai into Gaara, causing Gaara to lose balance as he tried to avoid Sai.

Sai got caught in the fray, but Naruto focused on Gaara. He started aiming at his face. Sasuke unfolded his arms and tentatively stepped forward as _twacking_ sounds filled the room, as Naruto’s fists hit Gaara in the face.

He should probably intervene before he was a witness to a homicide.

He stepped forward, coming up to Naruto’s back and as he swung back to hit Gaara again, Sasuke grabbed the wrist, before pinning it behind the blond's back, rotating it.

He was out of practice but he had done jujitsu, taekwando and boxing. He wasn’t strong but he was fast. He had undergone classes and training so that he could protect himself when he got into trouble in his line of work – so far, he didn’t think he would need it to break up a fight.

As Naruto turned to retaliate, he tweaked the wrist in his grip, lifting it up behind his back, until he knew that it would hurt Naruto. Naruto hissed.

Angling Naruto so that he wouldn’t fall on the others, he swept a leg under one of Naruto’s, forcing him face first to the ground, and once again put tension on Naruto’s caught wrist. 

Naruto struggled with his other arm, trying to grab Sasuke behind him, but to no success. Sasuke could see Naruto looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

He dug his knee into Naruto’s back, putting pressure on his kidneys and diaphragm. Naruto grunted.

“Hey asshole, get _off_ me!”

“I’m the asshole? Says the idiot who is trying to beat someone to death! Some way to treat guests.”

Naruto mumbled.

Sasuke looked over at Gaara to see Sai pushing him in the chest, glaring. Gaara looked like he was about to start up again, but as Sai tensed and put on a fighting stance, Gaara stood down. 

“He started it!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the juvenile remark coming from the blond below him.

“And if you weren’t so fucking stubborn, I wouldn’t have to resort to violence --- forget it, Naruto.” Gaara glared at Naruto’s back before retreating out of the room.

Sai watched him leave before finding a seat on the mat.

Sasuke felt the fight go out of Naruto, and tentatively let go before moving to sit back, the adrenaline within him dying down. Naruto was strong, deceptively so – he wasn’t bulky but broad and muscular. Dangerous too with how quick he was and the unorthodox fighting style he used – a mixture of many disciplines but also random moves that proved to be effective.

He watched the blond get up gingerly, the pain obviously setting in now that the adrenaline had subsided. 

“What did I do?” Naruto asked Sai.

Sai merely shrugged. The man got up and walked out too, despite Naruto calling to him and asking him _what the hell_ he had done wrong.

Sasuke watched Naruto straighten his back with difficulty. He sighed, the air going out of him and Sasuke saw the sadness there.

The blond stared at the wall until he realized that Sasuke was still present. He turned and regarded him coolly.

Sasuke felt like fidgeting under the cool gaze. Silence continued and he couldn't handle that the blond at the club who had been full of outbursts, was calm and reserved in person. It didn't feel right. 

“Do... you pick fights with walls?”

Naruto narrowed his gaze – “No…”

Sasuke looked at Naruto’s hands. There was old blood, dry and rusty and new blood too, Naruto’s blood. 

Naruto looked down at his hands. Then at his hoodie on the floor. 

Sasuke was under no delusions that whoever the blond had taken on was severely injured, or worse.

The blond huffed, somewhere between exasperation and laughing.

“You aren’t very smart.” Naruto was looking at him again, a sparkle in his eyes, and Sasuke felt wary.

“Speak for yourself…”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “How long have you been followed?”

Sasuke kept his response controlled. He wasn’t being followed – surely, not? Orochimaru wouldn’t go to those lengths. Right?

Sasuke chose to shrug.

Naruto chuckled deprecatingly. “Right, you didn’t know. How you have survived this long, I have _no_ idea.”

Sasuke scowled. He wasn’t stupid, nor was he unversed with underhand tactics – he was just out of practice. 

He got up and looked up into Naruto’s eyes. “You don’t know anything about me.”

Naruto tilted his head to the side. “I know enough." 

Sasuke glared at him. “Look, I am just trying to do my job. I understand you don’t appreciate me being here, but with what is at stake, I can’t play it safe right now.” 

Naruto folded his arms. “As if your actions gave me any indication that you were, as you call it, ‘playing it safe.” 

Sasuke growled, clenching his fists. “What is your problem?” 

The blunt question seemed to hit a nerve with Naruto, as he took a step forward into Sasuke’s space, face inches away from his.

His voice was quiet and controlled, but it only served to put Sasuke more on edge.

“My problem is that you are putting _everyone_ and _everything_ at risk and I am _tired_ of cleaning up after you… I have given you every opportunity.”

Sasuke stood his ground, even though he wanted to take a step back. What was the blond talking about?

“Do you think you are helping me? Is that what you think you are doing? What you did at _Sound_?” Sasuke struggled to keep his anger in check, his clenched fists now vibrating with rage. Naruto maintained his stance, arms folded, eyes narrowed. 

“I told you what was being shipped and you haven’t done _shit._ ”

Sasuke really wanted to just head butt him. “And what about what you did? The photos?” He didn’t want to have to say it, would rather not use words to describe what happened between them because it would make it ever more real. Every time he would think about it, even though he desperately tried to bury it in his mind. It wasn’t the photos that bothered him, no, he had gotten over that. It was Naruto’s intentions. Thus far, he was getting mixed signals and didn’t know where he stood with Naruto. At the moment he felt like a hostage.

Naruto shrugged. “I had a job to do.”

Sasuke felt the words hit him. A job. Silence crept up between them. 

Naruto was watching him intently, and Sasuke suddenly felt bare. Of course that was why the blond had approached him. As much as he had wished otherwise. But likewise, he was being irrational. It was a hook up, a service rendered, and he was the customer. Or more so, the patsy.

“Look, I don’t agree with your approach to your _job_ and where you stand between justice and crime – you being a dirty cop and all, whatever, you weren’t proactive about the information that I gave you. I just thought better of you.”

Sasuke swallowed thickly. The blond was disappointed in him? 

What had he possibly expected him to do with the information? He had worked on the case alongside with Kakashi.

“Why didn’t you come forward and help us? It’s taken me this long to get a chance to actually talk to you and I’m treated as if I’m an idiot and don’t know how to handle myself.”

Naruto looked away, sighing. “I couldn’t give anymore information unless I wanted to tie a bow around myself and dance in front of Orochimaru. He would know who sent in the information; anymore and it would have been like setting off a flare.”

Sasuke didn’t believe it for one second.

“As for you being an idiot – yeah, you have been. A car followed you here.”

Sasuke felt fear weigh down his limbs.

“But not to worry – I fixed it and likewise, everything else that I’ve had to clean up around here…you are not making the situation easy, Sasuke.”

Sasuke couldn't help but release a breath in relief, but he wasn’t going to be scolded.

“And you are a gun for hire, a prostitute, and will soon be an accomplice for human trafficking and aiding criminals. So don’t tell me I’m making the situation hard.” He knew he was being petty, but the blond was frustrating as all hell. Yeah, so what if he resorted to playground tactics?

Naruto stepped into Sasuke’s space again, until his nose was almost touching Sasuke’s. Sasuke looked down to Naruto’s lips and back into blue eyes; a smile broke over Naruto’s face but didn’t reach his eyes. “...Whatever pays the bills.”

And as Naruto leaned forward, Sasuke’s heartbeat sped up and he looked down at Naruto’s lips again, felt Naruto’s breath over his lips – and flinched as Naruto brushed past him.

He looked at the vacant space in front of him, heart hammering away.

“Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”

Sasuke swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the disappointment that washed over him. He was  _not_ disappointed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did youuuuuu think? Did you enjoy it? I have really enjoyed writing about Naruto's grittier side and can't wait to write about his backstory. This is a dark fanfic through and through, so it'll only get messier from here! I hope you enjoyed it!


	8. Two-sided

He followed after Naruto, watching his back corded with muscles, scars littering it. God, he was being irrational. He needed to get a grip on himself.

They walked up the stairs, Sasuke just able to see the floor below him. The lounge area and kitchen were quiet; everyone obviously had enough by the amount of bottles on the table in the lounge.

Naruto opened the door to a room and went in, switching the light on as he went. Sasuke entered, looking at the unmade bed and minimal furnishings. A hallway to his left, and roof to floor windows overlooking the city. His attention was caught on the monitors. 6 monitors mounted on the wall, a desk below. He could see what he guessed were all the surrounding streets circling the building. There were several showing the garage.

He turned around to see Naruto collecting a pillow and the top blanket off the bed. He tilted his head, “The bathroom is down that hallway and to the right. Make yourself at home.”

Naruto moved around, heading down the hallway, disappearing and Sasuke watched as motorized blinds came down to cover the windows. Sasuke looked around, before shifting closer to the bed. He gingerly sat down, feeling as if this might have been one of the weirder days he had experienced. Yeah, definitely.

It was close to 4am and he felt exhaustion creep up. He undid his laces, taking off his dress shoes. Shrugging off his jacket, he watched as Naruto appeared down the hallway, clean clothes on. 

Naruto nodded at him before walking out the room, closing the door, Sasuke watching him as he left. He sighed once alone, and looked at the monitors, wondering if there were any internal ones. Every monitor was divided into 9 sections, meaning that there was 54 cameras altogether. Talk about overkill. 

He looked to the bottom right monitor and could see that there were nine internal cameras. Some covering the foyer, and elevators, and others covering the lounge. He could see Naruto getting comfortable on the lounge, putting pillows down and settling in, his form only just visible. His face was soon illuminated by the light from his phone. Sasuke watched him for a little longer, feeling that everything was so surreal, that everything hinged on the shipment – time didn’t exist outside of the delivery date. He was tightly wound and felt like as soon as that shipment arrived, that he would burst. And he would, to a point. It had been a long time coming. It had taken a lot of planning.

He got comfortable, taking off his shirt and stripping down so that he was in his briefs. He climbed in, wrinkling his nose as he got into the unmade bed. Ah well, it wasn’t exactly a hotel. He laid there, thinking. He would need to call Kakashi to update him. He could already imagine the reaction.

* * *

 

He snapped awake, having no recollection of where he was, what day or time. He rolled over, squinting. Ah yes, he was at Naruto’s.

He leaned up and rested on his elbows, taking in the room again before looking at the monitors. He could make out Naruto on the floor between the kitchen and lounge. With what appeared to be a dog.

Kiba was on the lounge playing a game, staring intently at the TV. Sai and Gaara were in the kitchen.

He got up, putting his clothes on. He fished his phone out of the pocket of his jacket, checked his calls, messages and emails. Nothing of importance. 

He felt overdressed as he was in his work clothes, but he hadn’t thought to ask Naruto for a change of clothes.

He walked around the room, checking that he had everything before making the bed. He walked out the room, along the upper level and made his way down the stairs. He felt his lips quirk as he spotted Naruto trying to do sit ups but the dog was eager to lick his face every time he sat up. Naruto pushed the dog away a couple of times, until Sasuke caught the attention of the dog. The dog swivelled around; padding slowly closer to Sasuke and Sasuke was reminded that he didn’t particularly like dogs. 

He was wondering why the bed smelt e _au de dog._ Now it was obvious.

The dog was quite big, his head easily coming up to Sasuke’s hip. Its fur was mottled red, grey and black. Sasuke quickly realized that the dog was not friendly as it bared its teeth, before snarling and barking once.

Sasuke felt fear wash over him, looking past the dog to Naruto. The blond was watching, eyes sparkling with amusement as he continued to do his situps. No one else seemed bothered.  

He took a step back but the dog followed, barking once again.

“N-Naruto…” Sasuke didn’t care that his voice was betraying him, how it shook. He was however going to bash in the blond’s face if he didn’t stop chuckling. 

Naruto made a kissy noise and the dog instantly stopped snarling; instead licking its lips, watching Sasuke intently. 

Naruto’s voice called out, and Sasuke couldn’t make out the word but it sounded foreign, maybe Middle Eastern. The dog laid down, ears no longer flat against his head, panting calmly. 

Sasuke sighed in relief. 

“Put your hand out and let him sniff it.”

Sasuke glared at him.

The blond rolled his eyes.“It’s fine, let him do it.” 

Sasuke gingerly put his hand out. He clenched it, hoping to not have a finger chomped off. The dog got up and trotted over, sniffing before he rounded Sasuke a couple of times, sniffing still before he returned to Naruto. Naruto roughly scratched around the dog’s neck, praising in a high-pitched voice, cooing. The dog licked at his face, jumping from paw to paw in excitement. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

He unclenched his hands and realized that he was shaking. God, he was _not_ an animal person.

“8 hours of sleep and still ugly.” Sasuke swivelled to face Sai who was smiling his fake smile. He glared at the man.

“It seems not only can you not afford complete pieces of clothing, but you also don’t seem to have a home. Are you a full-time stray by choice?” Sai’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t respond and continued to butter some toast. Sasuke smirked in triumph. There wasn’t a word from Gaara. The man was perched on a chair next to the kitchen bench, reading some documents. His face was blossoming with purple bruises.

“There is breakfast, if you want it.”

He turned to look at Naruto and shook his head. The blond shrugged.

“I’m going to make some calls.” The blond looked at Sasuke sharply.

Sasuke huffed, “I need to call my captain. Any longer and there will be a wide spread search party sent out.”

Naruto’s gaze flickered away. Sasuke could hear Sai chuckling before muttering, “I _bet_ , probably dancing in the streets to be rid of you.”

Sasuke turned to snap at the man before Naruto interrupted.

“You’ll need to stay here for a week.” The blond was staring off into space.

Sasuke paled, “A week?!”

The blond nodded, grimacing as his sit-ups were taking a toll. 

“Yup, there are a couple of things coming up. It’s safer here.”

Sasuke scoffed and crossed his arms, feeling irritation growing. He didn’t need to be babysat.

“I have a job – a real one… I can’t just not show up.”

Naruto’s head swivelled around slowly.

“Last time I checked you were taken off the Orochimaru case – or am I wrong?” Naruto ignored Sasuke’s questioning stare and growl, “Call your captain and let’s see.”

Sasuke glared at him, trying to burn a hole in his head. What an asshole. Sasuke made no move to make the call.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, “Call him.”

 

* * *

 

He had called his captain and as he moved out of the kitchen area and back upstairs to converse (and gain some privacy), Naruto had snapped his fingers and shaken his head, pointing his finger to the ground repeatedly until Sasuke gave him the finger.

The blond walked over, towering over him, watching him with narrowed eyes, voice hushed, “ _Don’t be an asshole_.”

Sasuke glared at him, however it didn’t bother the blond. Focusing on Naruto, he asked Kakashi to repeat himself as he had tuned him out.

“—you are staying at Naruto’s place!? I feel compelled to ask why, but as you are _determined_ to have this case thrown out, it makes sense.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “I don’t exactly have a choice right now.”

There was silence on the other end. “What are you saying right now?” 

“I can’t leave.”

More silence.

“ _Why_?”

Sasuke sighed, “I’ve been _informed_ that I will need to stay here for a week.” 

“Conveniently after the shipment has arrived, I see.” 

Sasuke hmm’d his agreement.

“So a kidnapping? I’ll be sure to add that to the rap sheet for Uzumaki.”

Sasuke turned away from Naruto’s prying eyes, “There are extenuating circumstances. I was followed here yesterday by some of Orochimaru’s men.”

Kakashi sounded like he was eating something, the crunching noise carrying through the phone, much to Sasuke’s frustration, “Yeah I know, they have been following you for over a week.” 

Sasuke clenched his eyes shut, before looking up at the ceiling, hand coming to rub his forehead exasperatedly.

“….Oh, you didn’t know? Why did you think I was driving us around for ages after we went to Akimichi’s?”

Sasuke released his breath through his teeth. Sasuke felt like throttling the older man, but unfortunately he wasn’t physically present. 

“Look, I can’t leave, apparently there is a lot riding on me staying here.”

“Put him on the phone.” 

“What?” 

“I _said_ , put him on the _phone_.” 

Sasuke turned around to look at Naruto. The blond tilted his head, before smirking. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in return. He stiffly held out his hand with the phone, the blond stepping closer, looking at the outstretched hand before looking in Sasuke’s eyes. Something flashed in the blond’s eyes before the blond took the phone. The blond’s fingers brushed against his wrist and Sasuke forced himself to not shudder – as it was he had goosebumps.

“Uzumaki, speaking.”

Sasuke stood watching, resisting the urge to start fidgeting. He honestly felt like a child being spoken around – too unreliable to conduct phone calls. The blond walked and talked, behind Sasuke and up the stairs, to his room.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. So the blond idiot was allowed to walk off but he wasn’t? Gaara seemed to sympathize, shrugging.

It was a solid 10 minutes before the blond returned. Sasuke narrowed his gaze with how the blond was laughing; seemingly having the chat of a lifetime on the phone to his Captain.

“… yes, I’ll do my best. That wouldn’t be very smart.”

Sasuke glanced over at Sai who was chewing his food slowly, watching the blond intently. So it wasn’t just him bothered by this, right? Naruto seemed to be the quintessential criminal – easy to slide from one situation to the next, charming everyone as he went. And just as untrustworthy.

The blond finally finished up the call, chucking Sasuke's phone back to him. Sasuke glared at him. The blond replied with a fat grin. 

“Well?” 

The blond turned, “What?”

“What did you talk about?”

“Oh, just that he is happy for me to baby sit you for the next couple of days – after the shipment he wants to see you in person to make sure that I’m not torturing and manipulating you blah blah. Funny guy.” 

Sasuke continued to watch the blond like he was growing another limb.

“And?”

Naruto shrugged.

“You had a 10 minute phone call, and that’s it?”

“Some other stuff that you don’t need to know about?”

Sasuke ungraciously spluttered, throwing his hands into the air. “Yeah, so don’t keep me in the loop,” he sighed, hands on hips before muttering, “I’m going to kill _him_.” It was the first time he had wanted to kill Kakashi - life would just be so much _easier_ without him around. 

“Sai will take you to your place to pick up some clothes.”

Sasuke stared at the blond pointedly. He didn’t want to be taken anywhere, let alone with _Sai._

“And what will you be doing that is so important, that you can’t escort me to get clothes?”

The blond walked over to the kitchen and leant back against the workbench. “I’m struggling to see why that should concern you.”

“Because you are a criminal and are involved in human trafficking, me being a cop and all. Besides, I need to keep track of your movements so that it will become easier when I book you.”

Sasuke was concerned with how Sai stood grinning behind Naruto, shaking his head side to side rapidly. Gaara was watching Sasuke with wide eyes before a small grin came onto his face – quite a satisfied grin. Okay, maybe he had gone a little far.

“The shipment is in three days. I trust you will behave.” Naruto’s tone was icy. He pushed off the kitchen workbench before making his way upstairs.

Sai watched him go before looking at Sasuke again, shaking his head deprecatingly.

“If you are trying to get beaten, you are on the right track.” The red head drawled as he read and didn’t look up when he spoke.

Sasuke hnnn’d. Gaara sighed before lifting his gaze to Sasuke. “You don’t know him. A word to the wise; don’t bring up human trafficking around him.”

 

* * *

 

He felt like putting a fist through the dry wall – what a _fucking_ asshole! If he had a choice, this would be the _last_ lifestyle he would lead. 

He was made this way. He didn’t have a choice. And now he was going to finish it. It wouldn’t be long now – maybe 2 years tops and 6 years of work would come to an end. He would be able to die happy. He sighed, feeling the tension leave his shoulders. But no doubt there was always more work…

What he didn’t understand was what the Uchiha had against him. Sasuke had come from a prestigious family – loving, supportive family from what Naruto could find out and the only issue was the gang ties the father had had, which ultimately lead to their demise. The circumstances around the clan head’s death was uncertain – the records were sealed and Naruto couldn’t get access to them but he had a feeling. A gut feeling as it were, and he had learned to trust his gut a long, long time ago. It was all he had.

Sasuke wasn’t exactly the purest of the pure either. He was involved with the likes of a drug runner, brothel owner and slave trader. He had no right to comment on his occupation.

If the Uchiha wanted to be an asshole, he could walk straight out of his home and face Orochimaru himself. But it seemed Sasuke didn’t understand the position he was in. His inexperience made Naruto concerned. Nothing like a hostage to ensure you get what you want, or alternatively get a whole department and CIA operation to stand down. Something that Orochimaru would _love_ to have as an option.

He focused on getting dressed, going through the organized walk-in wardrobe to make himself presentable. He would need to look put together – he had meeting with the foreign head of the Triads. Ever since their expansion to America almost 20 years ago, their objective of _order_ was unable to be obtained. He was _the_ one who restored order. 

He tightened his belt, tied his shoes and checked his knife sheath was sitting comfortably against his lower back. He slipped his shoes on, tying them. He turned to see himself in the mirror and checked that everything was ok. He looked smart and could easily pass for a well dress business man, as was the desired effect - he needed to blend in. He pulled out the tub of foundation, applying it to cover his marks.

He walked out, and turned left, passing the bathroom to head to his small gym area. He had the dojo, but when he wanted privacy, he had this space. This was where he usually cleared his mind. He removed his jacket, hanging it on a hook by the mirror door. 

He slid open the mirror doors, keying in a code before pulling the compartment door open. His fingers trailed over pistols, concussion grenades, swords and finally landed on his knives. He pulled 6, carefully sliding them into position into the sheath on his back. He turned to inspect the sheath in the mirror, ensuring it was snug. 

To his credit he didn’t jump as he saw Sai in the reflection, watching him from the doorway. Sai’s eyes were roving over his back, the knives and lower. Naruto ignored him.

“Don’t be late.”

Naruto looked up from his cuffs to Sai, through the reflection. He didn’t answer, just watched him coolly. 

“I see I’ve been put on baby sitting duties.” Sai sounded almost like he was sulking.

Naruto turned to put his jacket on, slipping his arms through.

“I need someone to watch him while I am gone. Last time I checked you weren’t requested at the meeting.”

“One would think that I should accompany the person I’ve been assigned to watch.”

Naruto shrugged. “Boss’s orders.” 

Sai hmm’d, folding his arms, seeming to sink further into his perch against the doorway.

“Just watch him, please.” 

“And if I do?”

Naruto looked up at Sai at the loaded question. “And nothing. I’ve asked you, you are meant to assist me.”

Sai pushed off his perch, walking over to Naruto, reaching up to adjust Naruto’s collar and tie. Sai ignored the way Naruto stiffened, the blond’s hands snapping up and stopping at waist height automatically, by second nature, ready to defend. Sai smirked, looking into angry blue eyes. 

“No, I’m meant to ensure that you do your job. I am not the only one concerned about your interest in the Uchiha.”

Naruto reached up and grabbed Sai’s hands, stilling their motion. 

“I don’t need your advice. We've talked about this. Either you watch my back, or don’t.”

Sai shrugged, smiled his smile, the one that never quite reached his eyes, before pulling his hands away.

“With _pleasure_.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sasuke chatted to Gaara idly, and Gaara indulged him, talking cryptically about how he and Naruto met. He wouldn’t share anything about Sai though.

He heard Naruto coming down the stairs followed by Sai.

Sasuke nibbled on some toast that Gaara had gotten him, trying to not stare at how Naruto looked in his suit. _God damn._  

Naruto did look annoyed though, and seemed to be determined to put space between himself and Sai. If how Naruto would step away from Sai every time he was in 2 feet of the blond, was any indication. Sai was obviously having fun.

Suddenly the blond paused, looking up in Sai’s eyes, adjusting his watch. “Do I have your word?”

Sai paused, before nodding slowly, almost reluctantly. Naruto seemed to relax.

Naruto walked over to Sasuke, his steps indicating that he was in business mode, “Sai will take you to your place. Stick with him and you will be fine.” 

“And Orochimaru?” 

Naruto waved his hand casually, “I suggest you stay away for now. Right now is a… _stressful_ time. Besides, he will be staying away from you.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“Because he values his life.”

Sasuke scoffed.

The blond’s corner of his mouth perked ever so slightly, before his face fell blank again. Naruto checked his watch. “I’ll see you later.”

Gaara waved absentmindedly, Sai nodded and Sasuke watched the blond go.

 

* * *

  

He unlocked the door to his apartment, stepping to the side to allow Sai in. The man moved with caution, immediately going from room to room, checking. Sasuke rolled his eyes. The car ride over had been quiet, much to Sasuke’s delight. He didn’t want to converse with the man – Sasuke couldn’t trust him. Not that he would need to. 

He went through to his bedroom, closing the door before heading over to his side table. He pulled out his keys and unlocked it, pulling out two clips and his pistol. He stared at the emergency cash wad he had there and took it in case. A bit of money to get out of town.

He hadn’t had his pistol on him when he went to Kiba and consequently Naruto’s, but he felt a bit better with it on his hip. His knife holster on his ankle only came off when he bathed, so at least he had that to fall back on, should he need it.

Checking over his room, wondering if he needed anything else, he sighed. Truth be told, he didn’t want to stick around at Naruto’s. Whilst the phrase ‘better the devil you know’ applied, unfortunately he needed to check in with Orochimaru. He had missed calls from the man, but wanted to talk to him in person. He hadn’t found the last informant, and so wanted to be upfront. He wasn’t a coward and he wasn’t going to start being one now.

He had questions, and he would need to get answers. What did Naruto know about his working relationship with Orochimaru? 

Besides, if he didn’t show up, Orochimaru was going to start thinking otherwise; that maybe he _was_ the informant. It didn’t do well to hide away, as from the voicemails he had received; he could tell Orochimaru was pissed.

He put on his gun holster, sliding his jacket over the top.

Now to get rid of the sitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter - let me know your thoughts! What do you think Sasuke is up to? >->


	9. Pistol-whipped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I apologise for the delay - it has been a while but work has been crazy! I still enjoy writing this story but struggle to proof read and so have several more chapters written up but just need to make sure the plot makes sense! Aghh, writer problems!
> 
> I hope you enjoy and I should be able to get to a more consistent posting schedule, at least once every two weeks! Thank you for the support - let me know if you enjoy it x

He checked his watch for the 12th time. He was nervous, obviously, as he hadn’t met the head of the Triads before – he usually dealt with the chief of operations that controlled all matters in America. He got on with the man; he was in his late fifties, wise and sharp and difficult to fool.

Tazuna helped shape and upscale most of the operations and had squashed Gato’s uprising and mutiny within the Triads. He had carved a space out for legitimate business within the gang and was transitioning their operations and energy into other legal avenues. By succession, the American operations were turning a high profit, were buying real estate and commercial properties. Tazuna had paved the way for long term business.

Whilst the Triads still had foot soldiers, disputes were more often than not solved with money – very rarely did it come to violence. They were beginning to take after the Yakuzas, funnily enough. 

That was what Naruto was for. Through this method, they were distancing themselves from crime altogether.

He approached the elevator and entered, focusing on the doors as they closed, before zoning out as the elevator began to travel up.

Caught in his thoughts, he had to make a good impression, both for his safety and for Tazuna. It was Naruto's influence that had led to the change over to legitimate business and he didn't want Tazuna to pay for it. 

The elevator halted and he exited. He made his way to the hotel room suite. The penthouse suite was usually booked by whatever celebrity was in town, but obviously some strings had been pulled – the Triads owned the hotel after all. None of it could be traced through the trusts and holding companies unless a federal warrant was obtained, and they were far too careful.

He knocked on the door. It opened a fraction, before it opened swung open. The man was large, eyes sharp and narrowed. From his suit he was obviously straight in from Hong Kong – all the men working under Tazuna wore business suits. This man looked like he _did_ bloodwork from the black cut suit. Not exactly blending in. His tattoos didn’t help either. He looked unkempt, slacks crinkled, shirt untucked.

The man pressed a hand into his chest as he advanced. Naruto sighed before pausing, putting his hands up. He spun around, while the man patted him down. As his hands brushed his lower back and came back to pat firmly again, he caught the wrist. The man growled, “No weapons,” his voice thick and Naruto didn’t back down.

“It’s not a gun – just knives.”

“ _No_ weapons.”

Naruto shrugged before twisting the wrist in his grip, watching the man wince, before he kicked out his knee and let go so that the man could go to the ground, groaning. He adjusted his jacket, looking down the hallway to see 4 other men, guns pulled. He put his hands up slowly and called out, “Hey Boss? You here?”

There was movement down the hall, and then, “Yes yes, let him through!”

The men looked at each other and back to Naruto, lowering their guns slowly. Naruto straightened his tie and did the first button on his jacket, making his way down the hallway. 

The hallway opened up to an opulent room, gaudy and excessive. Tazuna was sitting in a chair by the windows, smile tight and posture a little tense. There were 9 men total, a little excessive. But then, to have the head of the Triads present, Naruto guessed it was reasonable.

Naruto noticed that Tazuna didn’t have any men of his own present. A little silly, was it not? A little foreboding, but positive thoughts, right? 

As Naruto moved towards the centre of the room, near the dining table, the men parted slowly, watching him closely. He stopped, stood up straight and put his hands behind his back respectfully. The men surrounded him, three behind him, two on his right by Tazuna, two on his left and as they stepped back and to the side, there were two standing behind the clan head. 

The man was as unnerving as rumored. His head was bandaged, hiding most of his hair and his left eye. His face was aged, wrinkles deep. His one eye was beady, calculating.

Naruto tried to not bristle at the perusal the man made, looking over his suit. Naruto merely smiled as he then looked Naruto in the eye. Tazuna stood up to his right, gesturing to Naruto, “Danzo, this is Uzumaki Naruto.”

Naruto bowed, eyes dropping to the floor. “Naruto, this is Danzo. Head of Wo Hop To.” 

The man made no move or gesture. Naruto’s grin smile fell before he smirked. “How was your flight?”

The old man made no move, face carefully blank. “Long.”

Naruto heard dragging and looked back over his shoulder to the man he had dropped before. The guy looked pissed. In Cantonese the man informed his boss that Naruto still had his knives. Naruto feigned ignorance, listening for the chatter from the men.

_What do you mean he still has knives?_

_Idiot, why didn’t you take them off him?_

_Does it look like I had a choice?_

A gun was raised in his direction and he looked into the eyes of the man.

“On your knees, _Assassin_.” 

Naruto raised his hands, placating. “It’s just some knives, not a gun.”

Danzo’s voice cut through. “Tazuna, you use this man? You insult me.”

Naruto looked to Tazuna who was sweating and decided to change tactics. His odds weren’t good, 10 to 1, including the cripple, excluding Danzo. He sighed, desperate times...

As he went to kneel, he feigned, pushing to slide across on his knees, lifting his hands and pushing the gun to the side of his head as the shot went off, the noise causing painful ringing in his right ear. Vision swimming and equilibrium affected, he brought his leg around and under, sweeping the man’s legs from under him and twisted the gun out of his grip as he tried to steady himself. 

2 more men had pulled their guns and the others were still reacting, chattering of panicked Cantonese filling the room. He knocked out the man on the floor, before throwing the gun at the guy closest to Danzo, hitting him in the eye, buying him some time. He focused on the next one to Danzo’s left, blocking his strikes, twisting the gun out of his grip to drop to the floor before he aimed a punch at his jaw, lower ribs and then gut. As Naruto moved on to the man nursing his eye, Naruto heard the previous man crumple to the floor. Naruto placed a solid kick to the visually impaired man’s solar plexus, the man falling back and Naruto followed, peppering his face with his fists. As Naruto placed one final stomping kick to the man’s abdomen, he turned and dropped down behind Danzo as shots fired out, hitting the spaces where his head had been. Five men were left, not including the one that he had disabled in the hallway who looked to be struggling to stand. They surrounded him and Danzo, creeping forward, guns drawn. The air was thick with tension and Danzo’s men were pissed. He peeked over Danzo’s right shoulder carefully before darting his hands up to Danzo’s neck. He gripped the man’s jaw and applied tension.

Naruto felt Danzo’s sharp intake of air and lessened the tension when he saw Danzo’s hand go up.

_Stand down_. The clan head’s voice sounded disappointed.

The men slowly put their guns down, watching and listening for their boss’s next order. But no order came and Naruto spoke in fluent Cantonese.

_“Alright, kneel on the ground, take your clips out of your guns, throw both your gun and clip over in this direction.”_

None of the men complied until Danzo nodded. 

Naruto released the breath he was holding as he heard the thuds. He removed his hands before standing up, walking over to the guns on the floor. He kicked them further away before turning around to face Danzo.

The man was amused, a small glint in his eyes. Naruto could see in the corner of his eye, Tazuna to his right, gripping the chair he was sitting in with white knuckles.

“I would have thought Tazuna would have explained to you about my skill set, but as he seemed to have not had the time, I thought you would enjoy a demonstration.”

He dropped down to kneel on one knee, resting his elbow on his other knee.

Danzo nodded slowly, his smile spreading. He tilted his head, “I guess I was incorrect in my assumption. Please,” Danzo reached his hand out to shake, and Naruto complied, gripping it tightly. They shook hands, staring at each other, neither backing down. 

“Tazuna, where did you find this man?” Naruto maintained eye contact with Danzo as his beady eye roved over his face.

Naruto could see the man stand up shakily from the corner of his eye.

“A-ah, he found me, Sir. He has saved my life more than once.” 

Danzo nodded, releasing Naruto’s hand before standing. He stood tall, towering like an old willow tree. His traditional wear of robes brushed the floor as he moved. He rounded Naruto a couple of times.

Naruto trained his eyes on the floor, hoping his gamble would pay off. At Danzo’s initial lack of reaction when he met him, he gathered he didn’t know of his escapades in America. He had moonlighted in Asia, travelling from China to Japan, upholding order within the gangs in those areas, although Tazuna wasn’t aware of this. A test from his _master_ at the time.

Danzo’s low voice was quiet, “There was a man, more so a nightmare that the men called ‘Kyuubi’. He didn’t use guns, just his hands and if necessary, knives.”

The man had stopped behind Naruto and Naruto couldn’t help but smile.

“He aided the Triads from Hong Kong to Beijing.”

He walked around, in front of Naruto. Naruto looked up.

“How is your master?”

Naruto maintained a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “He’s dead.”

Danzo sighed, “A pity.” It wasn’t.

The man leant closer, casual. “Rumours maybe - you are meant to have marks on your face.”

Naruto stood up to his full height, slightly shorter than the older man. “Rumors, I’m sure.”

Danzo contemplated this. “Well, what I’ve heard is that he marked his successor – they all do.”

Naruto tried to remain calm, his eyes flashing but a fake smile firmly set in place, “Maybe I am not his successor.”

The older man laughed. “Knives, hmm?”

Naruto nodded stiffly. “Insurance.” Danzo smiled.

Silence descended until Tazuna cleared his throat.

“Pleasantries aside, shall we return to business?”

Danzo turned to face Tazuna, “Ah yes, business. I hear matters are proceeding well with Orochimaru.”

Tazuna nodded.

“Distractions aside,” Danzo turned to Naruto again, “I’m sure my matters will be handled with the utmost care. We can’t afford to mix business with pleasure. I expect you to relay everything to me directly.”

Naruto nodded, ever present smile in place. He ignored the prying and took the comment for what it was – a warning. The older men continued to talk, their voices drowning out in Naruto’s ears.

 

* * *

 

 

Sasuke put his ear to the door, listening for Sai’s footfalls. Last time he checked, the black haired man was towards the kitchen. 

He opened the door a fraction, peering out. Nothing. He eased it open, stepping through. He was mindful of his shoes against the tiles.

He paused to listen and heard doors opening and closing further inside.

He slinked out, pulling out his gun. He wasn’t stupid. Sai wasn’t as _pleasant_ as he presented himself. If his intel was correct and by the gods, he had poured over those files over the last couple of months – there was an operative that was securing matters for the Triads. These were nasty killings, decapitations, disembowelments and worse, but none of them could be linked back to the Triads. He needed to find this man.

No doubt, the head of operations here was tidying up their act legitimately, but if it couldn’t be conducted in a quick and quiet manner, heavys’ were called in. He was pretty certain that Sai was a heavy – someone who was sent to clean up matters. They had a nasty reputation, and if he was involved with the Triads, it meant that he wasn’t safe with Sai either. However he wasn’t sure if the Triad’s were using this man to finalize any unresolved business agreements that they had. He needed to find out. Was there another person involved?

Overall, between Orochimaru and the Triads, he would prefer to be with Orochimaru – and that was something he thought he would _never_ admit to himself.

Whether Naruto was hoping to get rid of him or not – he wasn’t certain. But with the way he told him to not go to Orochimaru made Sasuke wary. Orochimaru could offer protection. At a cost, of course. What did Naruto gain from Sasuke not going to Orochimaru? What did Naruto gain from protecting him? Naruto wasn’t what he seemed. He wasn’t complacent, yielding or subservient. He was dangerous – intent running under his skin and little to nothing able to stop him. 

All that aside, right now, he needed to trust what he was feeling. He didn’t feel safe with Sai. _One step at a time_ he breathed to himself. 

He crept down the hallway, and saw Sai’s shadow falling across the living room, just past the entry to the hallway. 

He would need to be quick.

From his knowledge of Sai’s background, which was minimal regardless of the extensive notes in the intel files that they had on the Triads, he was a ghost and worked for Shimura Danzo last time he read up on the Triads. And Danzo’s reputation was less than pleasant. Many beheadings, stabbings and beatings could be attributed to Danzo’s influence from overseas to American shores. Danzo was not diplomatic. Which made the peaceful negotiations puzzling – like two different approaches were being used simultaneously, old and new.

If this was the Sai that was picked up in chatter, then he was in trouble. If the killings that were occurring in each of the province gangs, from the Aburames, Akimichis, and beyond were any indication, there was going to be a takeover. And if the only ones who hadn’t suffered losses were the Triads and Yakuzas, it was pretty obvious who was the instigator. 

If a Triad lap dog wasn’t escorting him and going through his apartment right now, he might have thought it was the Yakuzas. But it was definitely the Triads. Likewise, the Yakuza hadn’t shown their faces for some time. 

How did Naruto sit with both the Triads and Orochimaru? Was Naruto working for the Triads or Orochimaru? He needed answers.

He crept down the hallway, gun raised. He entered, and saw Sai to his right, standing on top of the coffee table, which he had moved over to stand on, running his fingers over the top of his TV cabinet. That table was worth a _fortune._  

Sai seemed to sense him and paused. He turned around, looking over his shoulder. His mood seemed to plummet tremendously as he spotted Sasuke’s gun.

“What do you think you are doing?” 

“Getting answers. _Sit_.”

The man hopped off the coffee table, not caring that he made sudden moves. 

“Aren’t you going to ask me to remove my weapon?” 

Sasuke smirked. “That won’t be necessary. Sit down; you move and I’m taking your head off.” 

Sai paused before he took the threat as it was and moved cautiously. He plopped down on to the couch, arms coming up to rest against the back of the couch. He didn’t seem too worried.

“You are going to tell me what I need to know, right now.”

Sai rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Right. You haven’t done this before, have you?”

Sasuke scowled, words sharp, “You don’t know anything about me, or frankly what I am capable of.” 

Sai tilted his head slightly, a smirk growing, “Do _tell_.” 

Sasuke stepped forward, gun in hand, steady and feet nimble. Sai watched him move and his face fell blank. Sasuke saw his expression and tensed. He relaxed his stance.

“What is Naruto’s role with Orochimaru?”

Sai chuckled, a hollow sound. “I see you finally took the time to read up on me, seeing how cautious you are being. However much you feel confident with that gun, the first mistake you make, and I am going to beat you until you are unrecognizable.”

“Hn. I don’t make mistakes. Answer the question.” 

Sai narrowed his gaze. “I heard an interesting story a week back. The story of a scared little boy… do you know it?” 

Sasuke clenched his teeth. “Answer the _question_.”

Sai waved his hand around and continued, “He came home from school, walked into his home but there was no one who greeted him.”

Sasuke stepped forward, hands clenching around his gun.

“He slipped and fell in a pool of his mother’s blood-“

“ _Shut_ up.”

“His father was propped up against the kitchen cabinets with half his head missing-“

“SHUT UP!” Sasuke jammed the barrel of the gun against Sai’s forehead and the man let his head fall back, a satisfied grin in place. Sasuke’s chest heaved as anger and rage coursed through him. 

Sai’s voice was soft, menacing, “The police never could track down your brother. Not that it mattered because the crime scene was compromised and quite a lot of evidence went missing, or so I’ve heard. There wasn’t much reason to catch him by the end of the investigation – not a trace.” 

Sasuke stepped back, trying to not let Sai’s words affect him, trying to keep his stoicism, but failing. He felt like he was snapping into pieces, buried memories resurfacing.

Sai lifted his head back up, watching Sasuke closely, eyes narrowed.

“I know enough about you, Sasuke. I know that you are not what you make yourself out to be. I see you are going back to your roots.” Sasuke focused on breathing, trying to not be thrown back into his memories, to not be paralyzed with fear.

“You asked what Naruto does for Orochimaru? He protects him. He is both his bodyguard and executioner.”

Sasuke watched the floor so that the room would stop spinning. His hands prickled with sweat and his chest felt like it was going to explode. He felt dizzy and his stomach was heavy with sick. He felt the cold sweat settle over him.

“But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

Sasuke shook his head side to side, not trusting himself to talk.

“You know much more than you let on, but you haven’t fooled me. I told Naruto to stay away from you – but he won’t listen. How long have you been living this lie? How many people have you dragged through the dirt with you? I read your records – you haven’t been able to keep a partner and two of them have died on duty. What do you think Naruto will do when he finds out?”

Sasuke stilled, head shaking. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, I don’t know why Naruto is protecting Orochimaru – what could be worth protecting Orochimaru…”

“He is being paid. Just like you are, might I add.”

“How much?” 

Sai shrugged. “It isn’t _exactly_  a monetary figure.”

Sasuke paled. He didn’t know whether he should pry or not, whether he might learn information that he would have to declare in judicial proceedings. He simply wanted to know – he had hunted his brother for years and he was no closer, his brother turning to smoke every time a lead came up. He couldn’t pay Naruto to back off or get information if there wasn’t money involved. He didn’t have anything else of value to the blond in that case.

Sai’s head tilted to the side, “But what does that matter? You don’t want him to kill Orochimaru.”

Sasuke swallowed thickly, feeling exposed. “I don’t care about—“

“Oh but you _do_ care about Orochimaru. He knows where your brother is, doesn’t he?”

Sasuke looked to Sai’s face, watching the man’s knowing eyes. Silence descended over the room. “No, he doesn’t. Not anymore.”

Sai huffed with amusement. “But he told you he knows who does.” 

Sasuke swallowed thickly again.

“But you aren’t sure." 

Sasuke nodded slowly. Silence fell over the pair. 

Sai waved his hand around, blase, “Why not give up?”

Sasuke faced Sai, choosing not to answer. He couldn’t say. He _wouldn’t_. Sasuke’s voice wavered as he changed the subject, loud in the quiet room. “Who did Naruto meet today?”

Sai seemed irritated as he quirked his head to the side. He didn’t respond.

“ _Who?”_ Sasuke growled, his voice loud in his apartment. He felt his frustration building – this was such a fucked up situation and he was no doubt, going to make it worse. But he had to – he _needed_ to do this.

“Danzo.” Sai smiled.

Sasuke let the information flow over him, holding his face carefully blank. What on earth was going on? What were the Triads up to? 

“….Where do I fit into this?” 

Sai shrugged. “Leverage.” 

“Leverage?”

Sai nodded slowly.

“Explain.”

Sai shook his head, “I can’t do that.”

Sasuke took quick steps over to Sai, pushing the gun against his forehead again. The man didn’t flinch, just maintained his infuriating smile.

“You will or my carpets are going to be red. Stop fucking around with me!”

Sai chuckled. “No, you won’t kill me. ”

Sasuke pushed the gun into the man’s forehead harder. “I will do what I have to.” 

“It would be a _very_ silly move on your part.”

Sasuke scoffed, smiling cruelly. “And why would that be?” 

Sai bit back, “Because if I die, Naruto dies. As do you. As do Naruto’s friends. Your Captain included, or should I say _foster_ parent.”

Sasuke clenched his hand around his gun and paused. “Where do you fit in to all of this?”

Sai shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.” Sasuke frowned. Jesus, was this guy never _not_ cryptic? The riddles were getting old. Sai sensed Sasuke’s confusion and followed up, pulling words and saying them like he was testing them, “I go where I am told to go.”

Sasuke thought over the man’s cryptic words, and asked again, “What is your job?” 

Sai paused, watching him, before an unnerving grin settled on his face, “I clean up.”

Sasuke didn’t have a chance to respond before Sai’s hands came up and knocked the gun away.

 

* * *

 

Naruto walked beside Tazuna, feeling comforted by the way the man’s shoulder brushed against his. It was a gamble, but it seemed to have paid off.

They were heading down stairs to the lobby, and had finished up their meeting with Danzo. They had explained the rest of the operation and business practices, and Danzo was in agreement – yet he wasn’t exactly impressed about how the American operations were turning ‘passive’ as he labeled it. Tazuna was quick to reply that the profits were up by 25% since the start of the year. That the dividends would increase accordingly. That had appeased him. 

Tazuna had argued that with how times were changing, it was easier to lead with diplomacy and paper. Not with guns and violence. He explained that America was cracking down and no matter the amount of people on the inside, the law was the law and it was costly to operate illegally. Bribes, payouts, black mail – it was cheaper to run legitimate businesses and pay tax. He did add that they would continue to conduct small illegal activities on the side, but it wouldn’t be their sole focus anymore. They wouldn’t have their eggs all in one illegal basket.

Danzo made sure to reiterate that the new trade route that was being opened with Orochimaru would be well used and would be overseen by Tazuna. No choice was given. Apart from that, Naruto didn’t think the meeting could have gone any better. Although, he was shocked that Danzo knewof him, or the likes of him. He hoped that Danzo didn't have strong or accountable sources in China.

He thought that he had been quiet in China. Apparently, not quiet or more importantly, not careful enough. He had only dealt with the district leaders – he never went to the officials in the gang. There was enough disorder in the lower ranks in China that he was able to achieve his goal, and make a bit of money on the side too, whilst still remaining obscure. Not obscure enough by the sounds of it.

They travelled down in the elevator, walked through the lobby to the entrance, where a car was waiting. Tazuna’s men stood alert. Tazuna turned to Naruto to shake hands, and the older man spoke quietly. 

“Be careful.”

Naruto nodded, “You too. For now we go dark. I’ll speak to you after.”

The older man nodded before getting into the awaiting car. Naruto noticed his worried expression and smiled as the door slammed shut.

He watched the car drive away.

 

* * *

 

 

Naruto stopped by at the hardware and local Walmart on the way home. He pulled up to the underground car park, finally at home and wondered how Sai got on with Sasuke. He parked his BMW in the garage, hitting the remote. He ducked under the roller door and headed upstairs, through the gate and up the elevators.

He entered in the access code and walked in. It was quiet. He placed the groceries and supplies that he had onto the kitchen bench.

“Gaara?”

No answer.

He whistled and the dog didn’t come either.

He headed upstairs to his room tentatively, and pushed the door open to find Sai sitting on his bed, clutching his head. He wasn’t looking in the best shape.

If Sai was here, where was Sasuke?

“What’s going on? Where’s Sasuke?

The black haired male looked up sluggishly, wincing, adjusting the ice pack on his forehead. He removed it and looked pointedly at Naruto.

“He dropped me.”

Sai’s forehead was sporting a large bruise and it looked like blunt trauma, like he had been pistol-whipped. Naruto paused mid motion, before launching into action, ripping his jacket off. He marched to his walk-in wardrobe, grabbed a hoodie before walking back out.

Sai waved his hand to get his attention.

“What!?” Naruto growled.

“Not even worried about me?”

Naruto scoffed, “You are fine. I’ll leave you to lick your wounds and feel sorry for yourself. Where is Gaara?”

Sai shrugged. “The dog is gone, they must have gone for a walk.”

Naruto nodded slowly, but not feeling entirely sure. He watched Sai closely, the man dropping his eyes to the floor. He looked up eventually and Naruto watched him skeptically.

They watched each other for a couple of moments, the silence growing between them. “You should show your marks,” Sai's voice was soft.

Naruto felt a flash of anger in his gut and sneered, eyes angry. “I am not just my marks.” 

Sai shook his head, “No, you aren’t. You shouldn’t be ashamed.”

The blond shook his head, a mixture of amused and sad.

“What?” The black haired man’s face carefully blank, and he fidgeted under Naruto's gaze.

Naruto didn’t answer. Silence descended again as they watched each other. 

“You can trust me.” Sai’s voice sounded small in the room. 

The blond smiled a small smile, a whisper. “Can I?”


	10. Cornered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter - I know, it's a miracle. It's short but better than nothing, right? Thank you to those who left me comments last time I posted. I appreciate every single one! Things are starting to get a little dicey, but hopefully everyone pulls through! Hope you enjoy :)

He headed to Sound, having driven Sai’s car back to pick up his car from Naruto’s. He didn’t want to arrive in a car that could possibly be tracked back to the Triads.

Besides, he also didn’t want Sai to catch up to him.

It was getting late, around 6 pm. He knocked on the door and it opened almost immediately. No doubt someone was watching the security cameras. 

Juugo nodded at him, before walking through, leading Sasuke. Juugo waved away the cloakroom attendant who was busy with paperwork. She clenched her jaw and gave him a dirty look, which Juugo seemed to ignore.

Sasuke followed the hulk of a man to the main area. The space looked a lot more different without all the people and the pink lighting. It was dark.

“This way.”

 Juugo walked down the hallway by the bar, and opened the door at the end. Sasuke followed. Juugo waved him in before shutting the door behind him. Orochimaru sat behind the desk. Sasuke took in his sunken eyes and pallor. He looked unhealthier than usual. The man looked up tiredly from his desk to see Sasuke. A flash of surprise before glee spread over the man’s face.

 “Sasuke, what a pleasure. And here I thought you had disappeared off the face of the earth - the only reason I could surmise, as to why you haven’t been answering your phone.”

 Sasuke looked around the room to see Kabuto to the left, and saw Sakon and Ukon lounging. They watched with wary eyes. Other men were leaning on other surfaces.

 Sasuke approached and sat down in the chair across from Orochimaru.

 “I’ve been a bit indisposed.”

Orochimaru’s eyebrow shot up and by the tightening around his mouth, he wasn’t happy. Sasuke continued on regardless, the strange turn of events hitting him as he took stock, wondering what he _could_ say.

 “I was being baby sat by one of Danzo’s heavys.”

 Orochimaru did well to hide any reaction he might have – either he wasn’t shocked or he didn’t know what it meant and was in a disadvantaged position. Lots of questions, no answers.

 “I left him at my apartment – I don’t know what’s going on. But you are going to tell me, right now.” He had a rough idea, but to gain Orochimaru’s perspective would be invaluable. Playing the damsel per se, had gained Sasuke a lot of information in the past, and he intended to use this to his full advantage.

Orochimaru glanced to Kabuto before turning back to Sasuke, a small smile on his face. The older man sighed.

“My my, Sasuke. I thought you were more intelligent but I must think too _highly_ of you.”

 Sasuke bristled and shifted in his chair as he heard Sakon and Ukon chuckle.

“The current situation is _very_ complicated. I was hoping for a much better outcome, but as it is, desperate times call. The Triads are being _problematic_ but it will resolve shortly. Things are under control, for now.” 

Sasuke frowned. “Why am I involved all of a sudden? I was meant to find the informant and that was it. I don’t understand why you are bringing attention to me by having people look for me and tail me?”

Orochimaru smirked, looking down to his folded hands, laying relaxed on the table. 

“Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke…. Who knows what you do these days? You play so many sides, I can hardly keep up.” 

Sasuke frowned, wondering _what the fuck_ was going on. He wasn’t this transparent was he? Could he just not get a straight answer? Then again, he wasn’t giving a straight answer to Orochimaru. 

“Orochimaru, stop fucking around, I need an answ-“ 

The older man slammed his hand on his desk. “You _will_ hold your tone and remember who you are speaking to…” 

Silence fell upon the room and Sasuke held the older man’s stare stubbornly.

Orochimaru started off slowly, softly, “Naruto has been under my employment for several months now, just over half a year. In that time, I haven’t had so much _trouble_ with any given situation. Regardless, enough about his _professionalism_ , he has taken … an interest in you… and I don’t know _why_ , but he has.”

Sasuke swallowed, glare hardened.

“And for this reason, I asked my men to pick you up when you found his residence.”

Sasuke felt his hands slick with sweat. What was Naruto’s interest in him?

“So Sasuke, you will obviously see what a _blessing_ this is, to have you here _._ ”

Sasuke looked around to see Sakon and Ukon standing up, watching warily, ready to move. As much as he had come to use Orochimaru, Orochimaru appeared to be doing the same.

“I have already resorted to other methods, but now I am most certain that things will run smoothly. Naruto is required to complete one more job, as per my agreement with the Triads, and while they might not be willing to bend him to their will, I will _not_ hesitate.”

The silent threat had sweat beading on Sasuke’s lower back, cottonmouth silencing him. He was no longer a step ahead of the game. He needed to think and act quickly.

The older man checked his watch, before picking up his phone. He dialled the number off by heart and placed it on speakerphone, setting it on the table.

It dialed three times, before someone answered, noise, banging and heavy breathing loud over the speaker. 

_“Where is he?”_

Sasuke stiffened as he heard Naruto’s agitated voice.

Orochimaru chuckled. “You took a while to notice.”

There was silence before a chilling chuckle could be heard over the speakerphone. _“If you do this Orochimaru, there is no end.”_

Orochimaru hummed, satisfied smile across his face, “Not exactly in a position to make threats, now is he, _Sasuke?_ ”

Sasuke bristled, looking from the phone and _feeling_ the disappointment coming from the phone. Silence fell.

“You can go get him, if you _like_ , or should I rephrase, _can._ ” Orochimaru was gleeful and it made Sasuke shiver.

Orochimaru’s goading didn’t elicit a response from the blond however. There was silence still, until Sasuke could see Orochimaru becoming restless, annoyed. 

“ _Sasuke...”_ , Naruto’s voice was cold.

Sasuke swallowed, hearing the concern and disappointment, feeling the guilt swallow him. “Y-yes.”

Silence again, _“Are you ok?”_

Sasuke glanced at Orochimaru, the older man looking beyond amused. “Yes.” He kept his voice neutral. He hoped the blond wouldn’t come for him.

Crunching noises could be heard in the background, and it sounded like Naruto was eating. Sasuke studied Orochimaru who was frowning, annoyed.

_“Where is he?”_

Orochimaru clapped his hands together, “First, you agree to finish the job.”

 _“Orochimaru, I won’t be doing that._ ” Naruto’s voice was breezy and casual, like he didn’t have matters of concern piling up. Like he was talking about the weather.

Orochimaru chuckled, “And then you will do another. And another if I say so! You have wasted my time and caused me to lose a lot of resources _and_ money. I can add more on if you would like to continue to barter.”

More silence.

Orochimaru seethed, “You _will_ do this, or both of them will die.”

Sasuke stiffened, fear washing over him. He wasn’t the only one? What had Orochimaru done?

“Whatever Orochimaru, it doesn't change the course of things. If either of them are hurt in any way, I won’t do the jobs. If either of them are hurt, I will gut you and feed you to your snake.”

Orochimaru smiled, the grin twisting his face. “Of course, but best be quick. Sakon and Ukon are getting bored.”

The line went dead shortly after. Orochimaru chuckled before looking over to Kabuto, proud.

“Now we wait…. please, make yourself comfortable," as he gestured to Sasuke.

Sasuke wouldn’t be doing anything of the sort. “Let’s make a deal.”

 

 -------------------------------------------------------

 

He didn’t have much of a choice so he had to call Shikamaru to trace Gaara’s phone. The man in question wasn’t impressed but helped regardless, tracing the phone and calling Naruto back to relay the address.

He arrived at the address and dragged himself out of his car. This was going to get messy quickly, but he needed to remain in control; he needed to put emotion aside. He took in the building across the road. It was rundown and abandoned. It looked like it was due to be pulled down, from the fencing and tape around the building.

He reached behind, wrapping his fingers around the butt of his gun. There weren’t many occasions that he chose to use guns – but this was one. He wouldn’t be taking any chances. He felt his anger bubble up as he thought of Orochimaru and he let it fade. Not now – that would come later. For now, he needed to retrieve Gaara and then seek out Sasuke.

Sasuke… he felt betrayal hit him and tried to walk it off but it stuck. How dare he go to Orochimaru – why didn’t he trust him? Short of handing over all information about himself, he thought that he had some connection with the frigid bastard, or at least a mutual understanding... at the very least, mutual respect. But apparently that wasn’t the case. He was trying his hardest to keep Sasuke safe, but he wasn’t making it easy.

He rolled his neck and tried to release the strain. It was dark and he pulled his piece, cocking it before breathing in. All he had to do was get in and get out, make sure Gaara was in one piece. Right now, that was all he needed to do. With his focus in check, he walked to the entrance of the building, teeth clenched, tension high. 

 

\---------------------------------------

 

“A deal?” Orochimaru’s chuckle that followed was almost sickly. Sasuke needed to move fast.

“He is the one you mentioned, isn’t he? The one you said who would know where Itachi is…”

Orochimaru laughed open heartedly, “No, for all you and I know, it is the heavy who is apparently at your apartment right now. It is an associate of the Triads.”

Sasuke grit his teeth. He was no closer to a clear answer.

“One thing is certain… Naruto will know. Naruto will be able to guide us to who may know where _dear_ Itachi is…”

Sasuke swallowed thickly. He needed to do this. 

“Naruto has covered his tracks well and not left any lose ends, much to my disappointment, he is trained well. His involvement with the Triads makes this problematic – we should be able to delve deeper, once the shipment has arrived.” 

Sasuke nodded numbly – he needed to focus, he was close. “Do you know if the Triads have made contact with Akatsuki?”

Orochimaru shook his head slowly, eyes narrowed. “No I’m not sure, but I am _positive_ that either Naruto or Sai will have the information.”

Sasuke scoffed, feeling hollow. “Sai doesn’t have the information.”

Orochimaru raised a brow. “And why do you think that is the case?”

“An interrogation at gunpoint didn't do much. Besides, Sai knows who I am.”

Orochimaru grimaced, “And Naruto doesn’t?”

Sasuke shook his head.

Orochimaru smiled, “Well, let’s make the most of that.”

 

\---------------------------------------------------

 

Naruto pressed his shoulder against the steel door gently. It squeaked faintly and he grimaced. He couldn’t seem to get a lucky break.

He sighed, figuring that the element of surprise was null and void. Best to face your enemies when you were caught with your pants down. He pushed the door open, pistol pointed forward. He checked his right and left, making sure that no one was in his blind spot. He stepped forward, steps careful and precise.

He slowed as he saw the hallway open up ahead. There were 15 men. Guns. His eyes scanned over to Gaara and could see that the man looked worse for wear. His face was puffy, right eye swollen shut and he was bleeding from his ribs. From the way Gaara was slumped over in his chair, he was weak.

He approached the group, taking in the tattoos. Definitely Orochimaru’s men. As he came closer, the men cocked their guns, the _clicking_ noises alerting Gaara to wakefulness. He gave Gaara a brief smile before looking back over to the left. Kyuubi was sitting patiently until Naruto’s eyes met his. _Silly dog_.

The dog barked and the man holding him pulled on his leash harshly, not caring for the resounding yelp. Naruto gritted his teeth. 

“Put down your weapon…”. The man closest to Gaara called out and Naruto glanced at the man. He was stocky and stern, his eyebrows knitted together. He appeared experienced. Let’s see how that holds up, Naruto mused.

Kyuubi was barking in full now and his handler couldn’t contain him. Naruto struggled to think as he scanned the room.

“Put down your weapon!” The man was aggravated, the nuzzle of his gun put firmly against Gaara’s temple now. Naruto grimaced. Gaara looked ashamed as he raised his gaze to Naruto’s.

Kyuubi’s resounding barks echoed through his brain as he came to his decision. He wasn’t getting everyone out of this situation.

He hushed Kyuubi, but when he didn’t calm and his barking didn’t cease, Naruto muttered, “ _Kun Hadyaan_.*” The dog ceased, whimpering. As much as it pained him, he didn’t have a choice.

“PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON!” The leader was perturbed now, his face red and splotchy. His gun was pressed into Gaara’s temple now so as to cause pain. Gaara was grimacing. Naruto was running out of time. If Orochimaru had gone to this trouble, it meant he wanted to bring in a complacent Naruto. Naruto wasn’t _complacent._ Was he falling behind? Was he not ahead of the game anymore?

The surrounding men moved in closer, apprehension clearly visible. Short of the dog behaving, barking having stopped, the man holding Kyuubi back on his leash kicked the dog in the ribs, the yelp made Gaara flinch. 

Naruto clenched his teeth against the sound. He whispered, “ _Asif sadiq qadim_.”

_Sorry old friend._

Gaara’s weak voice was thick from tears, voice cracking, “Naruto, no.”

Naruto smiled, voice subdued, “What choice do I have?”

Gaara shook his head, his movements sluggish.

Naruto fired the first shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kun Hadyaan* (arabic) = Be Quiet


End file.
